<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Previously, the Rocky Mountain alpine zone was a mycological blank spot. There have only been a few scattered records of macrofungi from this region and limited number of publications. This alpine survey covers the Beartooth Plateau in Montana/Wyoming for the North-central Floristic Region (lat 45°N) and the Front Range, San Juan Mountains, Sawatch Range for the Southern Floristic Region in Colorado (lat 36°-38°N), and reports over 165 species in 46 genera and 11 families (ca 1 500 collections). It is estimated that over 75% are known arctic-alpine macromycetes and the remainder are Rocky Mountain species. Of these, we estimate that 2-5% are new to science, 75% are new records for this Rocky Mountain alpine zone, and that over half will be new to Colorado or Montana/Wyoming. Approximately 56% are mycorrhizal species associated with <italic>Salix reticulata, S. arctica, S. planifolia, S. glauca, Betula nana = B. glandulosa, Dryas octopetala</italic> and <italic>Polygonum viviparum</italic>. Mycorrhizal species that occur with <italic>Betula</italic> are rare in the Rockies due to a paucity of this host. The most diverse mycorrhizal family is the Cortinariaceae with over 74 species, primarily of <italic>Inocybe</italic> and <italic>Cortinarius</italic>. Saprobic genera associate with a diversity of bryophytes or are terrestrial primarily in grassland; macrofungi on woody debris are rare. A greater diversity occurs in southern mountain ranges which are more diverse in geology and habitat. The southern extent of the Rockies at latitudes of 36-38°N likely includes the southernmost extent of certain Arctic-alpine fungi such as <italic>Arrhenia auriscalpium</italic> for the Northern hemisphere. Macrofungal fruitings are sparse compared to those in maritime arctic-alpine habitats due to a well-defined continental climate with drying winds, low relative humidity, periodic droughts, fire, strong diurnal temperature fluctuations and high elevations of 3 000-4 000 m. This report helps complete distributions of arctic-alpine fungi, and discusses the ecology of individual taxonomic groups in relation to other Arctic-alpine areas.</p></abstract>

Previously, the Rocky Mountain alpine zone was a mycological blank spot. There have only been a few scattered records of macrofungi from this region and limited number of publications. This alpine survey covers the Beartooth Plateau in Montana/Wyoming for the North-central Floristic Region (lat 45°N) and the Front Range, San Juan Mountains, Sawatch Range for the Southern Floristic Region in Colorado (lat 36°-38°N), and reports over 165 species in 46 genera and 11 families (ca 1 500 collections). It is estimated that over 75% are known arctic-alpine macromycetes and the remainder are Rocky Mountain species. Of these, we estimate that 2-5% are new to science, 75% are new records for this Rocky Mountain alpine zone, and that over half will be new to Colorado or Montana/Wyoming. Approximately 56% are mycorrhizal species associated with Salix reticulata, S. arctica, S. planifolia, S. glauca, Betula nana = B. glandulosa, Dryas octopetala and Polygonum viviparum. Mycorrhizal species that occur with Betula are rare in the Rockies due to a paucity of this host. The most diverse mycorrhizal family is the Cortinariaceae with over 74 species, primarily of Inocybe and Cortinarius. Saprobic genera associate with a diversity of bryophytes or are terrestrial primarily in grassland; macrofungi on woody debris are rare. A greater diversity occurs in southern mountain ranges which are more diverse in geology and habitat. The southern extent of the Rockies at latitudes of 36-38°N likely includes the southernmost extent of certain Arctic-alpine fungi such as Arrhenia auriscalpium for the Northern hemisphere. Macrofungal fruitings are sparse compared to those in maritime arctic-alpine habitats due to a well-defined continental climate with drying winds, low relative humidity, periodic droughts, fire, strong diurnal temperature fluctuations and high elevations of 3 000-4 000 m. This report helps complete distributions of arctic-alpine fungi, and discusses the ecology of individual taxonomic groups in relation to other Arctic-alpine areas.

Checklist and Ecology of the Agaricales, Russulales and Boletales in the alpine zone of the Rocky Mountains (Colorado, Montana, Wyoming) at 3000-4000 m a.s.l.

Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology Department

Sommerfeltia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Previously, the Rocky Mountain alpine zone was a mycological blank spot. There have only been a few scattered records of macrofungi from this region and...

Checklist and Ecology of the Agaricales, Russulales and Boletales in the alpine zone of the Rocky Mountains (Colorado, Montana, Wyoming) at 3000-4000 m a.s.l.

Published Online: Oct 04, 2011

Page range: 101 - 123

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10208-011-0005-5

Keywords
Alpine, Agaricales, Boletales, Ecology, Macrofungi, Rocky Mountains, Russulales

© 2008 C.L. Cripps et al., published by Versita

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Checklist and Ecology of the Agaricales, Russulales and Boletales in the alpine zone of the Rocky Mountains (Colorado, Montana, Wyoming) at 3000-4000 m a.s.l.

Published Online: Oct 04, 2011

Page range: 101 - 123

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10208-011-0005-5

KeywordsAlpine, Agaricales, Boletales, Ecology, Macrofungi, Rocky Mountains, Russulales

© 2008 C.L. Cripps et al., published by Versita

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Alpine, Agaricales, Boletales, Ecology, Macrofungi, Rocky Mountains, Russulales