Philippine E-Journals

Occurrence and Diversity of Myxomycetes (Plasmodial Slime Molds) along the Northern Slope of Mt. Makulot, Cuenca, Batangas, Philippines

Christian Bernard T. Cheng | Kate Nicole T. Yu | Monica L. Campos | Jaira Michelle V. Adora | Gerald Ceasar P. Pascua | Maria Victoria B. Pangilinan | Anthony T. Buaya | Thomas Edison E. Dela Cruz

Discipline: Bio-Diversity

 

Abstract:

Lowland forests in the Philippines are ideal study sites for myxomycetes due to its cool climate and rich vegetation. Thus, our research study aims to determine the myxomycete assemblages present in Mt. Makulot, Cuenca, Batangas. Aerial and ground leaf litter and twigs were collected and placed in moist chambers for 8 weeks under diffused light. Myxomycetes from the moist chambers and field collections were identified based on sporocarp and spore morphologies. A total of 21 species from 10 genera were collected from Mt. Makulot, with a high number of myxomycetes, i.e. 10-11 species, collected from aerial leaf litter and twigs. Only six species were obtained from ground leaf litter. Species diversity was also observed to be high on twigs. The myxomycetes collected were identified as Arcyria afroalpina, A. cinerea, A. denudata, Collaria sp., Diachea bulbilosa, D. splendens, Diderma effusum, D. hemisphaericum, Didymium nigripes, D. squamulosum, Hemitrichia calyculata, Lycogala sp., Perichaena chrysosperma, P. pedata, Physarum compressum, P. globuliferum, P. melleum, Physarum sp., Stemonitis sp., S. fusca, and S. herbatica. Among the collected species, A. cinerea was recorded to be the most abundant. Ten species were noted as rare. This is the first report of myxomycetes in Mt. Makulot, Cuenca, Batangas.