Myxomycetes associated with three different types of Neotropical urban landscapes

Abstract

Urban ecology is a research field gaining momentum due to contextual pressures to study macroecological effects on biodiversity. Herein, we evaluated the occurrence of myxomycetes in three urban Neotropical environments representing different levels of conurbation within different life zones. We used the moist chamber technique set up with ground litter collected by public roads for such evaluation. Results showed that 79% of the 420 moist chambers yielded myxomycetes and the same number of samples generated 570 records. The highest number of records and species were found in the cornurbated widespread city of the premontane moist forest life zone; and fewer records and species were recorded in the two non-conurbated compact cities. The lowest number of records was associated with the lowland dry forest life zone, whereas the lowest number of species was recorded in the desertic context. In general, more records and more species were observed in the outer zones relative to the urban centre but no significant differences were observed in either case. It is unlikely that the life zone characteristics could have primarily determined the results and highly likely played a secondary role. Also, previous geographical analyses in cities have reported no differences in myxomycete abundance or species richness in relation to the central parts of the urban landscape. The results presented herein support the latter idea, but also suggest that the presence of inter-conurbated green spaces and availability of substrates might play a role in the occurrence of sporocarps of myxomycetes in urban environments.