Fungal community succession and sporocarp production following fire occurrence in Dry Afromontane forests of Ethiopia

Fire is among the main threats to forest ecosystems in Ethiopia and is affecting the forest biodiversity, including fungal communities. This study was aimed to examine the effects of fire on macrofungal taxa richness, diversity and sporocarp production in the Dry Afromontane forests in Ethiopia. Sporocarps were collected from nine plots (100 m2) established in one- and ten-year-old burned stands, and in an unburned stands. The data were used to quantify fungal richness and sporocarp fresh weights. Morphological and molecular analyses were used to identify the fungi. Composite soil samples were also collected from each stand and used to determine main edaphic explanatory variables for taxa composition. A total of 61 fungal taxa, belonging to Basidiomycota division were reported, of which 22 were edible. Fungal diversity, richness and sporocarp production were affected just after the fire. Fungal community composition was significantly correlated with Organic matter, P and Ca. Generally, the result is encouraging from the point of view of fungal conservation. It provides novelty information about the macrofungal communities in Ethiopian dry Afromontane forests, likely including many taxa are still unknown to science as well as several edible species which could supply complementary incomes for the rural populations in the study area.