Mycological Indicators in Evaluating Conservation Status: The Case of Quercus spp. Dehesas in the Middle-West of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain)

The use of bioindicators to assess the conservation status of various ecosystems is becoming increasingly common, although fungi have not been widely used for this purpose. The aim was to use the analysis of the macromycetes fruiting bodies in the area of a natural reserve and the degree of preservation of its different zones combined with the use of geographical information systems (GIS). For this purpose, quantitative and qualitative fungal samples were carried out in plots of the middle-west of the Iberian Peninsula previously delimited and characterised thanks to GIS during the springs and autumns of the 2009–2012 period. In addition, the lifestyles of the fungal species were analysed as well as the influence of the main meteorological parameters on fungal fruiting. A total of 10,125 fruiting bodies belonging to 148 species were counted on 20 plots with four vegetation units (holm oak dehesas, mixed holm oaks and Pyrenean oak dehesas with different abundance and grasslands). The distribution of the different species, their lifestyles and the number of fruiting bodies in the different plots of the reserve indicated that the eastern part was best conserved, showing that the combination of fungal diversity studies and the use of GIS could be useful in the management of areas with environmental relevance.