Микология и фитопатология, 2020, T. 54, № 3, стр. 228-232

The stands of English Oak (Quercus robur) of anthropogenic origin existed on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland since pre-Petrine times. These were confined to loamy ridges formed as a result of the Baltic transgression. Such drained areas with heavy soils ecologically approach a central part of nemoral floodlands, the main habitat of Quercus robur in its optimum range (Zmitrovich, 2011). Beginning with a Peter the Great time, the oak plantings were renewed or increased and, as a result, along all the areas between contemporary Sestroretsk and Olgino settlements it can seemed a lonely growing old oaks and whole oak plantations, among which the Sestroretsk town “Dubki” Park is most famous. Oaks in the conditions of artificial drainage and elimination of competition from aspen, birch and spruce renewal reach a great age (250–300 years) in the oceanic sector of the taiga zone. This is also facilitated by fairly mild winters.

In 1723, between Lakhta and Lisiy Nos, east of Verpelevo village, the Peter’s estate “Blizhnie Dubki” was created with a rectangular park of regular style, approximately 250 × 300 m in size. To date, the park has been abandoned, although its drainage system continues to function. The vegetation in this drained territory is restored mostly via sub-nemoral groupings, and so far the fragments of following communities are observed on the territory of the old park: 1) black alder and birch-black alder moist high-grass forests, 2) fragments of oak stands mixed with black alder, 3) mossy lime forests, 4) black alder-spruce-linden nemoral grass forests and 5) mesophylic meadows (Khramtsov et al., 2013). Formally, this nature object lies on the territory of Saint Petersburg and consists a part of the nature sanctuary “The Northern Coast of the Neva Bay” (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1.

New for Russia (a, b), European Russia (c), St. Petersburg and the Leningrad regions (d, e) as well as the red data book (f, g) xylotrophic basidiomycetes revealed of the territory of old park at the “Blizhnie Dubki” estate: a, b – Truncospora atlantica upperside (a) and hymenophore (b); c – Pseudotomentella griseopergamacea; d – Porostereum spadiceum; e – Trametopsis cervina; f – Hydnocristella himantia; g – Hyalodon piceicola.

Some information on fungi and, in particular, a xylotrophic basidiomycetes confined to oak groves on the northern coast of the Neva Bay can be found in a number of works (Khramtsov et al., 2013; Kotkova, 2014), although data related to the territory of the old park at “Blizhnie Dubki” estate are hardly estimating.

On the same time, this area has an interest to specialists due to high productivity of stands, the abundance of wood debris and the presence of broadleaf species located here on the border of their distribution range. In particular, an interesting find of southern temperate Giant Polypore [Meripilus giganteus (Fr.) P. Karst.] was made here (Zmitrovich et al., 2019).

The present notice is devoted to new species of xylotrophic (presumably debris-associated) basidiomycetes which are reported for the first time for the “The Northern Coast of the Neva Bay” sanctuary from the old park area.

The authors’ investigations were carried out (June–October 2015 and August–November 2016) by the radial routes method according to generally accepted schedules. Basidiomata were photographed in living state before their separation from the substrate or immediately after a separation. The Canon G7 X Mark II camera was used for the material shooting.

The micromorphological analysis of the basidiomata was carried out using an AxioImager.A1 light microscope at the Laboratory of Systematics and Geography of the Fungi (BIN RAS). Micro-preparations for general hyphal morphology study were prepared using a 5% KOH solution. Such media as Meltzer’s reagent, Congo Red, and 5% NH₄OH solution were used to testing of thickened wall structures (thick-walled generative hyphae, basidiospore surface sculpture). The basidiospores measurements were carried out into the distilled water.

The material collected is loaned in the Mycological Herbarium of the BIN RAS (LE F).

In total, the present list contains 36 species new for the “Northern Coast of the Neva Bay” sanctuary which belong to 9 orders (Auriculariales, Atheliales, Cantharellales, Gomphales, Hymenochaetales, Polyporales, Russulales, Thelephorales, and Trechisporales) of the Agaricomycetes (Table 1).

Among the species revealed, the trametoid Truncospora atlantica is new for Russia and the corticioid Pseudotomentella griseopergamacea is new for the European Russia.

Truncospora atlantica was initially described by Torrend (1910) as Polyporus ochroleucus var. lusitanica. Later it was reported as Perenniporia ochroleuca from several European countries (Goncalves Silva et al., 2012; Ryvarden, Melo, 2017). However, it differs from Truncospora ochroleuca-coll. in having distinctly narrower tramal and contextual skeletals (Spirin et al., 2015).

Pseudotomentella griseopergamacea was described from the United States with Pinus resinosa cortex (Larsen, 1971). Subsequently, it was reported to Denmark, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden as well as the Far East of Russia (Pseudotomentella griseopergamacea, 2020).

A range of species (Amaurodon viridis, Antrodia macra, A. heteromorpha, Perenniporia subacida, Postia rennyi, Sarcoporia polyspora) are reported here for the first time for the Saint Petersburg Region. All these, however, aren’t a zone-alien element and are quite well presented in boreal forests the Leningrad Region.

Only two zone-alien species (absent in the Leningrad Region) are reported for the first time for the Saint Peresburg Region, namely the stereoid Porostereum spadiceum and the trametoid Trametopsis cervina. In Europe, these species are rather common in central and southern belts of the temperate zone. Their main substrate is a rather large-sized fallen broadleaf trees. They can also be found on broadleaf understory species (on Alnus spp. in boreal zone). In principle, the trametoid Brunneoporus malicola gravitates to these species according to their distribution patterns and substrate preferences, but this species was already observed at the Saint Petersburg area (Kotkova, 2014).

Among the species protected at the Saint Petersburg Region (Red data book, 2018), such corticioids as Crustoderma dryinum (an azonal species of pine forests), Hydnocristella himantia (a species of nemoral links, confined to debris mainly of broadleaf species), and heterobasidiomycete Hyalodon piceicola (a species of coniferous or broadleaf-coniferous productive forests) were revealed.

The data obtained indicate that the fungal species complexes formed in old oak plantings present rather unique issue. A competitive pressure within the nemoral groupings is weakened that is a reason for invasion on these areas of alien southern and even sub-Atlantic species. The presence of rare and biogeographically interesting fungal species is one of the arguments for the protection of this nature area.

The study by I.V. Zmitrovich lies in frameworks of the BIN RAS State Task “Biodiversity and spatial structure of fungal and myxomycete communities in natural and man-made ecosystems” (AAAA-A19-119020890079-6). This work was completely done on the equipment of the collective equipment center of BIN RAS “Cellular and molecular technologies for the study of plants and fungi”.