Abstract

Macrofungi play important roles in nutrient cycling, forestry, pharmacology industry, production of cultivated fungi in the food industry, as well as their vital role in biodegradation and biodeterioration. Information about the diversity, community organization, and variations in time and space of macrofungi community belonging to the Basidiomycota and Ascomycota at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) Mlimani main campus in Tanzania is totally non-existent. This study was conducted on three major habitats based on types of land use namely: natural trees, planted trees and the gardens which included cleared grounds at the UDSM. The method based on fruit body recording and analysis to provide a set of biodiversity quality indices which included fungi taxonomic field work and inventory of collections made to document the macrofungi species present. It also included quantitatively comparisons in terms of species diversity and richness across the three major habitats studied using diversity species indices. Results showed that there were 18 families, 29 genera and more than 61 species out of more than 676 fruit bodies collected. The Agaricaceae family in the Agaric morpho group were the best represented taxa (71%) with the least represented (2%) belonging to Hydnaceae of the ‘tooth fungi’ morpho-group. Shannon Wiener diversity species indices showed that the species composition varied among habitats with the natural tree leading (3.8882) followed by planted trees (3.1358) and the gardens recorded the least (2.8647). On the other hand, the Reyni diversity of species ordering showed a tremendous decrease of species diversity in the disturbed habitat. These results show that there is high species diversity and abundance in the ‘natural trees’ which are relatively protected compared to ‘planted trees’ and ‘gardens’ as well as a tremendous decrease of species diversity in the disturbed habitats. These findings suggest that disturbances and soil compaction affects the macro fungi distribution. The results thus recall for the need for conservation and further research in this area, particularly at the community and species level which is essential to monitor the effectiveness of, or the need for conservation, and also to follow the effects of natural or artificial disturbance.

Key words: Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, communities, macrofungi, morpho-group.