Myxomycetes associated with bark of Larix in Hedmarken, Norway. Which species live there and where on the lower part of the stem do they thrive best?

In Hedmarken, Norway, a survey of 36 Larix trees was conducted for myxomycetes at 17 sites. Bark from the larches was systematically collected at different heights in the four cardinal directions and 320 moist chambers were cultivated. This resulted in 763 identified myxomycetes representing 47 species, and four of these species were recorded in Norway for the first time: Didymium orthonemata H.W. Keller & T.E. Brooks, Echinostelium apitectum K.D. Whitney, E. paucifilum K.D. Whitney, and Physarum echinosporum Lister. The study shows that myxomycetes generally do not, have preference for any of the cardinal directions, but there are differences in species richness between individual trees and locations. At heights between 0.5 and 2 meters above the ground, no major differences in species richness were found. The study shows that a substantial number of moist chambers must be cultured in order to document the majority of the species that live on the bark of larches. A comparison of the results across different landscape types indicates that certain species have a preference for specific land-scape types.