Abstract

The natural coastal forest mycobiota of South Central Chile is currently restricted to highly fragmented remnants of original sclerophyllous and deciduous forests, surrounded by extensive exotic timber plantations and agricultural land. We compared species richness, trophic categories, endemism and host-specific associations of macromycetes in native woods and plantations of Pinus radiata and Eucalyptus spp. in the Arauco Peninsula, Biobío Region. From 2014 to 2017, sporocarps of 148 species were retrieved from 132 sampling plots of P. radiata, 69 in Eucalyptus spp. and 25 in native forest. Total fungal richness was highest in P. radiata, but species density and proportions of endemic taxa and specialists were highest in native forests. Eucalyptus plantations showed the lowest species richness and percentage of ectomycorrhizal symbionts, but the highest proportion of ubiquitous lignicolous and nitrophilous/coprophilous fungi, indicating a high disturbance level. Plantations, although showing considerable fungal diversity, cannot sustain the endemic mycobiota. Small and degraded patches of native forest are important sanctuaries for autochthonous macromycetes.