DISTRIBUTION OF WOOD-DECAYING FUNGI IN URBAN AREAS OF CENTRAL SLOVAKIA

 Martin ŠEBESTA

Technická univerzita vo Zvolene, Fakulta ekológie a environmentalistiky, Katedra biológie a všeobecnej ekológie, T. G. Masaryka 24, SK-960 63 Zvolen, e-mail: xsebestam@tuzvo.sk

 

 Abstract

Woody plants in urban areas are heavily influenced by the presence of diseases and wood-decaying fungi. Wood decay is one of the most common types of diseases of urban trees, and because decay weakens wood and may cause tree failures, it is one of the most important diseases. Decay can affect woody roots, trunks, and branches. Therefore, careful tree monitoring should help to properly assess the risks. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the distribution of wood-decaying fungi in selected locations in urban areas of central Slovakia. Data of wood-decaying polypore came from our own field research that ran from September 2017 to October 2018. We conducted the research in 34 locations of central Slovakia. Most findings of wood-decaying fungi and attacked woody plants were recorded in Liptovský Hrádok, Lučenec, Oravská Lesná, Zvolen, Kováčová, Detva. We recorded 215 findings of wood-decaying fungi belonging to 25 taxa. Basidiocarps grow on 23 taxa of woody plants. Basidiocarps most often colonized dead woody plants and Fagus sylvatica, Salix caprea, Picea abies. The most expanded wood-decaying fungi were Fomes fomentarius, Trametes versicolor, Phellinus igniarius, Fomitopsis pinicola, Ganoderma applanatum and Ganoderma adspersum.

 

Key words: wood-decaying fungi, woody plant, central Slovakia, urban areas