Diversity and Ecological Roles of Macrofungi Along the Cemoro Sewu Track of Mount Lawu, Magetan, East Java, Indonesia

Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia

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Abstract

High-altitude tropical ecosystems, such as those on Mount Lawu, particularly along the Cemoro Sewu Track in Plaosan District, Magetan Regency, East Java, harbor a rich but undocumented diversity of macrofungi and their ecosystem roles. Macrofungi play a critical role in forest health through nutrient cycling and symbiotic relationships. This study investigates the genera, diversity, and ecological functions of macrofungi along the Cemoro Sewu track in Magetan, East Java. Data collection was conducted using a line transect along the track, with a 1 m buffer on each side, from 1900 m asl to 3100 m. asl Macrofungal specimens were identified based on morphological characteristics, including pileus shape, color, gill attachment, and substrate preference. A total of 28 genera belonging to 16 families were identified. The most dominant groups belonged to the Basidiomycota phylum, particularly within the orders Agaricales and Polyporales. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index revealed a unimodal (hump-shaped) elevational pattern, with macrofungal diversity increasing from lower elevations, peaking at mid-elevations (2501–2700 m above sea level), and declining toward higher elevations. This pattern suggests that intermediate elevations provide optimal environmental conditions and greater habitat heterogeneity for sustaining diverse macrofungal communities. The study highlights the ecological importance of macrofungi in maintaining forest ecosystem processes. It identifies mid-montane habitats along the Cemoro Sewu Track as importantareas for fungal biodiversity conservation in the Mount Lawu ecosystem.