Contribution to the knowledge of fungal diversity in the archaeological park of Selinunte (S.-W. Sicily)

The Archaelogical Park of Selinunte (S.-W.- Sicily) is included in the SIC (Sites of Community Interest) named “Dunal system Capo Granitola, Porto Palo e Foce del Belice” (code ITA010011). It includes a dunal system that is steadily towards the inland with sandy substrates which tend to characterize little evolved soils on silico-arenaceous matrix with alkaline pH. The climate of the site belong to the thermo-mediterranean belt (annual average temperature around 18 ° C), and upper dry ombrotype (average annual rainfall of 500 mm) [1]. The biotope also includes wetlands, Pinus halepensis Miller and Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh reforestations, evergreen sclerophyllous vegetation with aprevalence of Pistacia lentiscus L. and maquis dominated by Anagyris foetida L. with scattered woods with Quercus calliprinos Webb. The number of recorded fungi is 40 taxa (33 Basidiomycetes and 7 Ascomycetes). Among these, deserve particular attention, because of the vulnerability and consequent fragmentation of habitat, some infrequent species for the Italian and Sicilian territory. Battarrea phalloides (Dicks.) Pers., included in the preliminary Red Data List of Fungi from Italy (2), was collected on sandy substrata in a maquis mainly characterized by P. lentiscus. A few number of basidiomata of Xerula mediterranea (Pacioni & Lalli) Quadr. & Lunghini were collected in the rear dunes characterized by vegetation belonging to Crucianelletalia maritimae Sissing 1974. Lyophyllum buxeum (Maire) Singer, infrequent in Sicily, was recorded in a E. camaldulensis reforestation. The study provides a further contribution to knowledge of mycological biodiversity of coastal dune. These habitats are subjected to intense human disturbance and are among the most seriously threatened in need of effective conservation actions.