Fungal assemblage and diversity on periodically sampled intertidal woody litter

Fungal assemblage, richness and diversity were assessed on 1,800 woody litter sampled periodically from three intertidal habitats of southwest coast of India for two successive years. Among 41 fungi encountered, 30 were ascomycetes, two were basidiomycetes and nine were deuteromycetes. Number of fungal occurrences (p=0.0276) and seawater temperature (p=4.12×10 -7 ) in different periods were significantly different. Percent wood colonized (85 vs. 65.8-71.9 %), mean number of fungi per wood (1.6 vs.1.2-1.3) and mean number of fungi per sampling (12.7 vs. 10.5-10.7) were highest during August (monsoon) which coincided with low seawater temperature (25.2 vs. 27.8-31.7°C). A highest number of species (30) was recovered in August (in April, 25; in December, 24). Seventeen species showed the highest frequency of occurrence during August, while it was 14 in April and 10 in December. The relative abundance of Clavatospora bulbosa was highest (17 %) followed by Antennospora quadricornuta (13.6 %) and Periconia prolifica (13.2 %). Antennospora quadricornuta was most frequent (22.8 %) in August followed by Clavatospora bulbosa (20.6 %), Periconia prolifica (20.5 %), Zalerion varium (12.3 %), Torpedospora radiata (10.9 %) and Crinigera sp. (10.7 %). Species richness and diversity of fungi were highest during August. This study indicates that the assemblage, richness and diversity of marine fungi on intertidal woody litter dependent on the sampling period, which is highest during monsoon samples of the southwest coast of India.