A preliminary checklist of fungi at the Boston Harbor Islands

Between December 2012 and May 2017, we conducted a fungal inventory at the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (BHI) in Massachusetts. We extensively sampled 4 sites (Grape Island, Peddocks Island, Thompson Island, and World's End peninsula) and occasionally visited 4 others for samp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Northeastern Naturalist
Main Authors: Haelewaters, Danny, Dirks, Alden C, Kappler, Lara A, Mitchell, James K, Quijada, Luis, Vandegrift, Roo, Buyck, Bart, Pfister, Donald H
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2018
Subjects:
Biology and Life Sciences
Webb
Brewster
Brewster Island
World's End
Calf Island
Thompson Island
Online Access:https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/8643940
http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-8643940
https://doi.org/10.1656/045.025.s904
https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/8643940/file/8643941
Description
Summary:Between December 2012 and May 2017, we conducted a fungal inventory at the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (BHI) in Massachusetts. We extensively sampled 4 sites (Grape Island, Peddocks Island, Thompson Island, and World's End peninsula) and occasionally visited 4 others for sampling (Calf Island, Great Brewster Island, Slate Island, and Webb Memorial State Park). We made over 900 collections, of which 313 have been identified. The survey yielded 172 species in 123 genera, 62 families, 24 orders, 11 classes, and 2 phyla. We report 4 species as new, but not formally described, in the genera Orbilia, Resupinatus, and Xylaria. Another collection in the genus Lactarius may be new to science, but further morphological and molecular work is needed to confirm this conclusion. Additionally, Orbilia aprilis is a new report for North America, Proliferodiscus earoleucus represents only the second report for the US, and Chrysosporium sulfureum, a common fungus of some cheeses, was discovered on woodlice (Crustacea: Malacostraca: Isopoda: Oniscidea). We discuss our findings in the light of DNA-based identifications using the ITS ribosomal DNA region, including the advantages and disadvantages of this approach, and stress the need for biodiversity studies in urbanized areas during all seasons.

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