Diversity and abundance of microfungi on decaying leaf-litter of Ficus benghalensis Linn.

Abstract

Fallen and decaying leaves of Ficus bengalensis Linn., gathered at monthly intervals during a 3-month post-monsoon period, were subjected moist-chamber incubation and particle-plating techniques to isolate and analyse the diversity and abundance of microungi inhabiting the litter. Simultaneously, the fungus flora of soil and air in the proximity and fresh leaves of the tree were analyzed in the same site to understand the possible sources of fungi to ficus-litter. A total of 106 species belonging to 88 genera were recorded. Of these 54 were encountered on litter. The results indicate that the endophytic fungi found on fresh leaves often reach the litter pool; the ubiquitous fungi encountered in the isolation plates could be attributed to air-spora; majority of the recovered soil fungi overlapped qualitatively with the ficus-litter fungi. The fungi recovered exclusively from the decomposing litter with no other probable source or origin may be considered as 'true ficus-litter fungi'.