Mycocoenologic study of the macrofungi on the forest of Jbel elbir (Aïn Draham, Jendouba, Tunisia)

Macrofungi have important functions in forest ecosystems. It is essential to have information about these species to ensure proper management of such ecosystems. Due to the importance of forestry in Tunisia and the lack of information on fungal communities, this study was conducted in North Western of Tunisia. The objective was to enumerate macrofungal diversity in relation to various environmental factors. In total, 158 fruiting bodies were collected and 60 species were identified. Among them, 39 species are mycorrhizal. A fruiting body is the first visible appearance of the spore-bearing surface until its disintegration. More fruiting bodies were found on the eastern slopes than on the western slopes. This reflects the distribution of tree species and soil type. Almost all fungal species were collected from soils of moderate acidity (pH 4–pH 5), 5 species from soils with low acidity (pH 5–pH 6.8), and only 3 species from soils with high acidity (pH < 4). The majority of fruiting bodies occurred in soils with a percentage of organic matter ranging from 1 to 5 and a phosphorus content ranging from 15.1 to 20 ppm.