Shcherbakova I. Discomycetes of the family Pyronemataceae of the Poloninsky-Chornohirsky Carpathians

The species composition, systematic structure, morphology, ecological features and distribution of discomycetes of the family Pyronemataceae of the Poloninsky Chornohirsky Carpathians are investigated at this dissertation work. As a result of our own research, 55 species of 27 genera that belong to the family Pyronemataceae were registered on the territory of the Poloninsky-Chornohirsky Carpathians. For the first time in the studied area, 48 species of discomycetes were presented, 39 of them are new for the Ukrainian Carpathians. Five genera and 23 species were registered in Ukraine for the first time as well. There was identified the representative of the genus Trichophaea, given into analyses its anatomical morphological and environmental features and the results of molecular genetic studies, it is likely to be a new species for the world mycobiota; its original description is provided. Taking into account the literature data, it was established that the family Pyronemataceae within the Poloninsky-Chornohirsky Carpathians is currently represented by 28 genera and 57 species; 63 species – in the Ukrainian Carpathians and 97 species – in Ukraine in total. The analysis of the taxonomic structure of the family showed that Scutellinia was the dominating genus in the Poloninsky-Chornohirsky Carpathians region, comprising 15 species. Also, from 1 to 5 species were noted for other genera found on the investigated territory. The anatomical and morphological features of the registered representatives, their distribution in the Ukrainian Carpathians and Ukraine were studied and analyzed in details. It showed that the species composition of the family Pyronemataceae in the Poloninsky-Chornohirsky Carpathians are quite unique in comparison with other regions of Ukraine. The species composition of Rostotsky-Opilski forests and Ukraine Western Polissya appeared to be the most similar to the Poloninsky-Chornohirsky Carpathians. The distribution of detected species within the three trophic groups (saprotrophic, symbiotrophic and biotrophic) was proposed. The prevalence of saprotrophic species in the studied area was due to favorable edaphic conditions and the presence of a significant amount of dead wood. The saprotrophic discomycetes are represented by 5 groups according to the substrate type (carbotrophic, coprotrophic, xylotrophic, humus and litter saprotrophic fungi). Particular attention was paid to the study of discomycetes in fireaffected areas. The fruiting of the pyrophilic fungus Anthracobia maurilabra in a pure culture was obtained for the first time. The distribution of discomycetes in highland vegetation zones were analized. The species composition of discomycetes on the five protected areas (Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, Uzhansky NNP, NNP "Synevyr", NNP "Cheremosky" and Carpathian NNP) were investigated. As a result of the analysis of the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Trichophaea and related taxa based on the three genetic markers of the ribosomal cluster of nuclear DNA genes (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, LSU and SSU), phylogenetic heterogeneity within the genus Wilcoxina was established and the heterogeneity of the genera Trichophaea and Anthracobia was confirmed.