LAUSR

The low diversity tropical forest is dominated by host specialized wood decaying fungi (Hymenochaetales, Polyporales) with narrow host range.  To understand whether or not wood decaying fungi in a highly diverse tropical moist deciduous forest have any kind of host specialization, sporophores of 22 species of wood decaying fungi were recorded on 17 tree species in three seasons viz., pre monsoon, monsoon and post monsoon from the moist deciduous forests of Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala, India.  Only two of the 22 species with three or more records showed signs of host specialization.  In the case of other fungi, the number of host tree species increased with increasing number of occupied or colonized logs.  The findings support the assumption that most of the wood decaying fungi have broad host ranges in highly diverse forest types in the tropics.