Tsykun T. Wood-decomposing fungi of the genus Armillaria in the virgin forests of Ukrainian Carpathians

The thesis devoted to Armillaria spp. investigation in the Ukrainian Carpathians. According to that, six Armillaria species occur in investigated forest stands: A. tabescens, A. cepistipes, A. gallica, A. mellea, A. ostoyae and A. borealis. Species were identified and described both by considering morphological characters and by performing genetic analyses of three DNA regions commonly used for identifying fungi. DNA of Ukrainian specimens were studied by performing phylogenetic and PCR-RFLP analyses. Based on the multigenic approach, a new procedure algorithm was developed for the clear identification of Armillaria species considering. Finally, the diversity and ecology of Armillaria spp. in virgin pure beech and mixed/conifer forests of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve were determined by applying developed species identification scheme.