Host preferences of wood-decaying fungi of the genus Ganoderma in the urban areas of Slovakia

Ganoderma (Basidiomycota, Polyporales) is a cosmopolitan genus with the greatest diversity in the tropics. It causes white rot of a wide range of woody plants all over the world. In Europe, 7 species of the genus Ganoderma grow: Ganoderma adspersum, G. applanatum, G. carnosum, G. lucidum, G. pfeifferi, G. resinaceum and G. valesiacum.

All of them also occur in Slovakia. The aim of the present study was to identify the presence of Ganoderma species in the urban areas of Slovakia and to find out their host preferences and the topology of the basidiocarps on the colonised trees. A total 263 findings of Ganoderma obtained by our own field research and the processing of records from herbarium items located in natural museums in Bratislava (Slovakia) and Prague (Czechia) were analysed to detect their ecological characteristics.

The occurrence of all 7 Ganoderma species was recorded in the urban areas of Slovakia. The most common species is G. adspersum (39% of all records) with the widest range of host woody plants (24 species). G. applanatum is the second most widespread species in the urban areas of Slovakia growing mostly on a decomposing wood of unknown trees (31% of all findings) and also on beeches (9% of all findings).

G. resinaceum is the third most widespread in the urban areas, and it grew mainly on Quercus. G. lucidum was most often found on unknown trees (65% of all findings) and also on oaks (16% of all findings). The rarest Ganoderma species are G. valesiacum (only 1 record on Larix sp.), G. pfeifferi (4 records, mainly on Fagus sylvatica), and G. carnosum (4% of all records, mainly on a decomposing wood of unknown trees).