Epiphytic myxomycetes on the bark of Salix and Populus in the southeast of Western Siberia

The diversity of epiphytic myxomycetes developing on the bark of aspen and willow in the southeast of Western Siberia was studied. In the study area, aspens and willows most often dominate in intrazonal communities: in floodplains, ravines and gullies. Myxomycetes of the epiphytic complex were identified using two complementary methods: collecting fruiting bodies in the field and isolation in laboratory conditions on natural substrates (bark of living trees) using the «moist chambers» method. A total of 505 samples of myxomycetes were analyzed, where a sample is a specific group of myxomycetes formed from a single plasmodium. 64 species of myxomycetes were identified in the «moist chambers» and 8 species in the field. Despite the fact that the bark of the aspen and willow has very similar values of acidity (pH), the taxonomic composition of myxomycetes living on these trees varies greatly. As a result 72 species of myxomycetes were recorded on the bark of the aspen and willow in the southeast of Western Siberia – on the willow bark only there were 51 species, on the aspen bark only there were 10 species, on the bark of both trees there were 10 species.