Macromycetes as indicators of anthropogenic pollution of forest ecosystems with heavy metals

Mycobiota is a group of living organisms characterized not only by high resistance to anthropogenic factors, but also by the ability to accumulate such substances as heavy metals. This property allows the use of certain macromycetes in environmental monitoring of forest ecosystems. Objective. The aim of the study is to determine the influence of abiotic and anthropogenic factors on the accumulation of heavy metals by fruiting bodies of macromycetes. It can help to assess the forest ecosystem pollution by pollutants in the Middle Volga region. Materials and Methods. Fruiting bodies of dominant macromycetes (soil and wood-destroying fungi) were studied in forest ecosystems with different levels of anthropogenic load. Lead, nickel, copper, cadmium, zinc, cobalt and iron content was determined. The sampling areas were the park of Ulyanovsk city “Vinnovskaya grove”, a site in the Ulyanovsk forestry (2 km from Ulyanovsk) and a site in the Kuzovatovo forestry (100 km from Ulyanovsk, control). The sample areas were of a similar forest site type. Results. It was revealed that among ecological groups of macromycetes, the sorption capacity in relation to the total amount of heavy metals is most clearly expressed in mycorrhiza-forming fungi. In the evolutionary development, a decrease in the content of pollutants was observed as we move from obligate saprotrophs to obligate parasites, i.e. from evolutionarily old to evolutionarily young species. Under the increasing impact of the anthropogenic factor, HM Accumulation in soil fungi is more intensive than in wood-destroying ones. It is explained by the type of substrate on which the fungi grow. In the ecological chain “soil - wood - tinder fungus” an increase in the content of heavy metals is observed as we move from saprotrophs to the highest trophic link of consumers.