Mycobiota of three Boletus edulis (and allied species) productive sites

Boletus edulis and allied species (porcini) are one of the most appreciated and consumed species in the world. Despite their ecological and economic importance, little information is available on the mycobiota that characterize their natural growing habitats. Due to the importance to preserve the areas where these precious species grow, three different broadleaf sites were investigated to describe the above ground macrofungal communities. These forests, located in North-west Italy (Liguria), were intensively surveyed over three consecutive years by sporomata analysis. Altogether 243 fungal taxa were recorded in the selected 60 plots. The statistical results reveal that the studied sites, despite differing in vegetation type, are very similar in macrofungal species richness and composition. The ectomycorrhizal fungal group was the richest both in number and percentage. Comparisons of our results with other European mycological investigations suggest that porcini broadleaf sites are characterized by a similar and peculiar mycobiota.