Abstract:
The key role of ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi in ecosystems functioning has been demonstrated
worldwide. However, their diversity, spatial distribution, fruiting phenology and production as
influenced by climatic parameters variability remain poorly understood in tropical African forests.
Weekly surveys were conducted from April to early October 2014 at the Comoé National Park (CNP),
Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa) in 09 permanent plots established in Isoberlinia doka (IW), Uapaca togoensis
(UW) and Mixed (MW) woodlands. Non metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) of EcM fungi abundance
was run to assess the influence of environment tal parameters on fungi distribution using the package
VEGAN. Hierarchical clustering based on dissimilarity and indicator species analysis were run to
characterize fungi communities. Analyses were computed with the statistical program R. A total of 123
EcM fungi species belonging to 23 genera and 09 families were collected at CNP. Simpson diversity (1-
D) and evenness were 0.97 and 0.54, 0.97 and 0.61, 0.96 and 0.52 for IW, MW and UW respectively. Yet,
weekly-based species accumulation curves did not reach an asymptote. Stem density of U. togoensis
Pax (UTDen) and I. doka Craib & Stapf were the most important tree parameters influencing EcM fungi
distribution (respectively r
2 = 0.92 / p-value = 0.002 and r2 = 0.83 / p-value = 0.018). Two sites groups
were distinguished and four indicators species were identified.
