Mycobiota in Dead and Damaged Branches of Silver Birch in Slovakia

The species composition of the mycobiota in dead and damaged branches of silver birch (Betula pendula) was studied. The study material collected at 44 localities in Slovakia during the period of 2009 to 2015 was examined. In total, 27 fungal taxa (11 Ascomycetes and 16 Deuteromycetes) were identified on the basis of fruiting body morphology. Sixteen of them have never been recorded on birch trees in the country. Prosthemium betulinum, Trimmatostroma betulinum, Cytospora betulicola, Cryptosporella betulae, Coryneum lanciforme, Myxocyclus polycystis, Pleomassaria siparia, and Disculina betulina were the dominant colonisers of dead branches. The spectrum of fungi colonising dead and dying branches of B. pendula was compared in the following different types of stands: public parks and inter-block spaces of greenery, private gardens, forests, and tree alleys alongside roads. The average number of fungal taxa on birch trees growing in different habitats was not significantly different.