Are Gasteromycetes Silent Helpers in Habitat Conservation?

Abstract The informal group of Basidiomycetes commonly known as Gasteromycetes, are now included in the sub-classes Agaricomycetidae and Phallomycetidae. These fungi are characterized mainly by distinctive enclosed fruiting bodies with a gleba that stores spores until maturity. For Puerto Rico, there is no official inventory of Gasteromycetes. To fulfill this need, a study was conducted within five different areas at the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Mature specimens were collected during twenty-eight fieldtrips between January, 2016 and July, 2017 from areas under three different conservation strategies. Throughout the visits there was a pattern of occurrence of various genera consistent with the season. Bovista, Cyathus, Rhizopogon, Tulostoma, and two unknown species were collected exclusively during the rainy season. Calvatia and Disciseda occurred only during the dry season. The presence of saprophytic and ectomycorrhizal Gasteromycetes is indicative of the success of the different conservation/restauration strategies implemented at the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge in Cabo Rojo.