Biodiversity of Deadwood Beech Macrofungi in the Darabkola Educational Research Forest of Sari

With sufficient knowledge regarding the presence of fungi and the significance of biodiversity, the forest's management objectives can achieve their sustainability goals. Therefore, in order to properly manage the forest, it is necessary to establish indicators that provide adequate information on biodiversity and monitor changes resulting from management activities. This study aims to identify various macroscopic fungi and investigate their biodiversity in their habitat, i.e., deadwood.

Fifteen specimens of deadwood fungi were randomly selected in Darabkola forest. All macroscopic fungi were numbered and collected, then transferred to the mycology laboratory for identification. The biodiversity of the fungi was calculated using Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Simpson diversity index, richness index, and uniformity index with PAST software

The obtained results revealed that there were 37 species of macroscopic fungi belonging to 27 genera and 16 families. Trametes versicolor, Daldinia concentrica, Trichaptum biforme, and Fomes fomentarius were the most abundant, while Hericium coralloides, Ganoderma resinaceum, Ganoderma adspersum, and Trametes trogii were the least abundant species. Additionally, the families Polyporaceae, Xylariaceae, Ganodermataceae, Pleurotaceae, and Schizophyllaceae were the most abundant, whereas Pezizaceae and Hericiaceae were the least abundant. Most fungi were present in the final stages of decomposition. The results indicated that the mean diversity index for Shannon-Wiener species diversity was 3.24, Simpson species diversity index was 0.95, Margalef's richness index was 6.11, Menhinick's index was 1.95, and uniformity was 0.69. The analysis of the Shannon-Wiener diversity index showed that Trichaptum biforme and Trametes versicolor had a higher diversity value with a score of 1.46.

The results of this study indicate that for the management of fallen deadwood habitats with the aim of increasing the biodiversity of fungi, it is recommended to preserve these fallen deadwood areas within the forest. This preservation would contribute to the revitalization and completion of the ecosystem cycle.