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. 2025 Aug 18;18(1):361.
doi: 10.1186/s13104-025-07434-6.

Factors determining diversity of saproxylic arthropods in the fruiting bodies of the birch polypore fungus (Fomitopsis betulina)

Craig D Perl  1   2   3
Affiliations

Factors determining diversity of saproxylic arthropods in the fruiting bodies of the birch polypore fungus (Fomitopsis betulina)

Craig D Perl. BMC Res Notes. .

Abstract

Objective: Certain basidiomycete fungi produce semi-stable fruiting bodies, known as brackets, that support a significant quality of saproxylic invertebrate biodiversity, especially in northern forests. The objective of this investigation was to assess the drivers of saproxylic diversity within the fruiting bodies of Fomitopsis betulina. We explore which factors are significant determinants of arthropod diversity and abundance, examining the effects of sporocarp size, height above the ground, and relative isolation from neighbouring sporocarps.

Results: We find that larger sporocarps support a greater number of arthropods, but diversity and species richness are determined by distance from nearest neighbour.

Keywords: Arthropod; Biodiversity; Biological islands; Bracket fungi; Forest; Insect; Polypore; Saproxylic; Sporocarp.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The animals sacrificed during this experiment were not subject to any legal or formal ethical oversight. However, care was taken during animal handling to minimise stress and avoid injury. Animal sacrifice was designed to be as rapid as possible while preserving specimens for identification. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Field site location. A: Ercall Wood, Shropshire in the west of England, approximately Ercall Wood is a steep, mixed broad-leaf forest with a maximum elevation of 265 m located at 52°41’18"N, 2°31’19"W. B: Location of deadwood from which sporocarps were collected. Each point (of which there are 14) represents a single instance of deadwood from which fruiting bodies were collected. Multiple sporocarps were collected from some dead wood locations.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Arthropod abundance, species richness and diversity within Fomitopsis betulinua sporocarps. Plots represent minimum adequate models with associated trend lines derived from GLMs. A: Arthropod abundance increases with increasing sporocarp volume. B: Species richness decreases within a sporocarp with increasing distance from the next nearest sporocarp. C: Effective number of species within a sporocarp decreases with increasing distance from the next nearest sporocarp.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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