Biodiv Sci ›› 2013, Vol. 21 ›› Issue (4): 499-506.  DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1003.2013.08074

Special Issue: 微生物多样性专辑

• Orginal Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Chinese polypore diversities: species, mycota and ecological functions

Liwei Zhou, Yucheng Dai*()   

  1. State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110164
  • Received:2013-03-28 Accepted:2013-06-28 Online:2013-07-20 Published:2013-07-29
  • Contact: Dai Yucheng

Abstract:

Polypores are the group of macro-basidiomycetes with poroid hymenophore and corky basidiocarps that mainly grow on wood. China contains multiple climatic zones and geographic topographies, and thus possesses a variety of forest and vegetation types that provide rich habitats for polypores. Based on extensive collections conducted over a long period of time, a considerable knowledge of Chinese polypore species has been obtained, and this has been enriched further in recent years by using molecular technology. China possesses the highest polypore diversity in the world and 704 polypore species, belonging to 134 genera, 22 families and 11 orders, have been recorded within its borders. These 704 species are composed of cosmopolitan, boreal/temperate and tropical-subtropical elements. White-rot polypores are considered as potential industrial resources, while brown-rot polypores play an essential role in forest renewal.

Key words: Wood-decaying fungi, species diversity, mycota, ecology