Diversity of agaricoid mushrooms in the Afromontane forests of Kedjom-Keku, North West Region, Cameroon

Abstract

A study of the diversity of gill mushroom was carried out in the primary and secondary forests of Kedjom-keku montane forest, North West region, Cameroon. The purpose of this study was to conduct a comparative study of the specific diversity of fungi collected in these two forest types. Out of the two hundred and fifteen samples collected, there were strictly twenty-five species in the primary forests, twenty-one species in the secondary forests and fourteen species were common to both forests. In the primary forest, the most represented genera were Mycena, Crepidotus, Pluteus, Crinipellis and Agaricus, and the most abundant families were Mycenaceae, Agaricaceae, Marasmiaceae, Inocybaceae, Psathyrellaceae, while, the most represented genera in the secondary forest were Mycena, Gymnopus, Agaricus, Pluteus, Crepidotus and the most abundant families were Mycenaceae, Agaricaceae, Marasmiaceae, Psathyrelaceae and Omphalotaceae. In terms of ecology, 64% of the species was collected on wood, 40% from soil, 8% on wood and soil, 1% on litter and wood. All species collected were saprotrophs. The trend of this initial study showed that the primary forest had a higher biodiversity of agaric fungi though not significantly different from that of the secondary forest. This makes this forest ideal for the conservation of macrofungi.