The relation of fungal communities to wood microclimate in a mountain spruce forest

Microclimatic conditions influence fungal growth, yet accurate descriptions of the relationships between the occurrence of fungi and microclimate (especially temperature) are lacking for dead wood in natural conditions. Here, we studied the occurrence of fungal fruit bodies on 2 m long segments of both standing and lying trunks of Norway spruce (Picea abies). The fungal assemblages were associated with properties of the segments related to the progression in wood decay, causes of tree death, and temperature and moisture conditions. Fluctuations in the temperature of wood decreased with increasing water content, and both water content and temperature stability increased with diameter and with the progression in wood decay. Red-listed species differed in their relations to both wood and microclimate parameters, which highlights the importance of the simultaneous presence of various wood types for the occurrence of rare and threatened species.