Macrofungi in Urban and Rural Forests

Research in 1993, 2003, and 2013 showed high rates of tree mortality and low rates of recruitment (new trees) in Portland, Oregon’s Forest Park. Three control sites in the Mount Hood National Forest were added in 2013; research from 2018 showed the control sites had significantly more live trees, seedlings and saplings than urban sites. Last summer we surveyed the forests in Forest Park and near control sites for macrofungi. All fungi were identified to genus, the nearest substrate (e.g., log or soil), and the nearest vascular plant species. We compared the fungi we identified to those reported as mycorrhizal with vascular plants in the literature.