Macromycetes in alpine snow-bed communitiesmycocoenological investigations

For a period of 3 or 5 years, six plots in the alpine zone of Switzerland, mainly in the Bernese Oberland, have been observed for macromycetes. In snow-bed communities, 88 species could be found, 25 on siliceous ground and 63 on calcareous ground. Fungi with a wide ecological range and a large distribution area dominate in acidic snow-bed communities (Salicetum herbaceae (SAH)) and fungi with distinctly specified ecological claims dominate in calciphilous snow-bed communities (Salicetum retuso-reticulate (SAR)). In both vegetation types mycorrhizae-formers play a most important role. The differences in the flora between the two snow-bed communities are greater for the macromycetes than for the phanerogams. Both vegetation types are characterized by macromycetes.