Diversity of Fungi in Mangrove Forest

Abstract

Soils, water, leaves and twigs were sampled from 5 different areas in mangrove forest at the Ranong Biosphere Reserve during July 2000 and February, April and July 2001. The salinity of water varied among different areas, but pH remained the same in all water samples. The temperature of water was highest in April. The numbers of fungi at surface layer of the soils close to the water were 1.0x10²-6.3x10³ CFU/g and of submerged soils were 2.8x10-1.6x10³ CFU/g. The numbers of fungi in surface water were 1-4x10 CFU/ml and that at 1 meter below water surface were 1-5.6x10 CFU/ml. The numbers of fungi from leaves were 2x10²-8.3x10³ CFU/ml whereas those from twigs were 3.0x10²-2.1x10⁴ CFU/g. The numbers of fungi from twigs were higher than those of leaves, soils and water. The numbers of fungi in water were lowest. The fungi were isolated and identified into 16 genera 74 species. Three species, namely Mucor sp., Rhizopus sp., Syncephalastum sp. were in the Phylum Zygomycota; one, namely Ascotricha guamensis was in Phylum Ascomycota; seventy, namely Acremoniumof 5 species, Aspergillus candidus, Aspergillus flavus-oryzae group of 3 species, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus group of 3 species, Aspergillus ustus group of 2 species, Aspergillus versicolor,
Aspergillus 3 species, Cladosporium elatum, Conidiocarpus sp., Curvularia brachyspora, Curvularia clavata, Curvularia lunata, Curvularia harveyi, Curvularia pallescens, Curvularia trifolii, Curvularia tuberculata, Fusarium heterosporum, Fusarium. sporotrichioides, Fusarium sp., Humicola sp., Monilia sp., Paecilomyces carneus, Paecilomyces variotii, Paecilomyces sp., Penicillium atrovenetum, Penicillium deleae, Penicillium fellutanum, Penicillium lanosum, Penicillium steckii, Pestalotiopsis 3 species, Phoma 2 species, Trichoderma atroviride, Trichoderma aureoviride, Trichoderma citrinoviride, Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma konigii, Trichoderma longibrachiratum, Trichoderma parceramosum, Trichoderma viride, Trichoderma 2 species were in class Deuteromycetes. Fifteen were sterile hypha, one species of Basidiomycota and three unidentified. Statistical analysis on biodiversity of fungi was made by Shannon index and Simpson index. The similarity of fungi from the samples was also analyzed by WARD’s method, The results showed that, with different seasons, diversity of fungi were highest in the rainy season followed by those of mild season and hot season. Species of fungi in the rainy season were more similar to those of mild season than hot season. Among different sampling sites, diversity of fungi in natural forest was highest. Similarity of species of the fungi were highest in two different areas of one year old mangrove plantation. With different habitats, diversity of fungi was highest in soil, green leaf, yellow leaf and twig. Similarity of species of fungi among habitats was highest in green leaf and yellow leaf.