[Polypore species diversity, floral composition, and distribution characteristics in Changbai Mountains, Northeast...

Polypore is an important group of wood-rotting fungi, which can decompose wood cellulose, semi-cellulose, and lignin into nutrients to be utilized by itself and other organisms, and accordingly, can promote the material cycling in forest ecosystem. Based on more than 10 years investigation and collection, it was found that the polypore in Changbai Mountains was rich in species diversity, with the Shannon diversity index being 5.06. In the Mountains, a total of 246 polypore species were recorded, occupying 40.7% of the total in China. The polypore species recorded belonged to 80 genera, 11 families, and 6 orders, among which, Polyporaceae was the dominant family. The most important bio-geographical elements of the polypore in Changbai Mountains were north temperate element and cosmopolitan element, other elements also included, showing a distinct north temperate character in floral composition. Pinus was the main host of polypore, supporting 41.5% of the polypore in Changbai Mountains. Most of the polypore was saprophytic, and its quantity had a significant correlation with the decaying degree of substrates, implying its important role in the material cycling in forest ecosystem in Changbai Mountains. There were 18 threatened polypore species in the Mountains, accounting for 37.5% of total in China. Besides their important ecological functions, many of the polypore also had higher economic value. On the premise of complete protection on them, these fungal resources should be exploited reasonably.