Diversity of Hyphomycetes in Deciduous Forest Soils : A survey of local soil Hyphomycete mycoflora of the Puttaparthi mandal, Andhra Pradesh, India

Fungal biodiversity studies have occupied an important position in myco-ecological studies across the globe. Pertinent literature brings to light the fact that a large proportion of fungi still await discovery. Though fungal diversity studies are being undertaken around the globe, many regions remain unexplored due to shortage of qualified personnel or lack of accessibility to those regions. In this regard, documenting the bewildering diversity of fungi is the need of the day. Puttaparthi mandal in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India is one such hitherto unexplored region characterized by deciduous-forest type of vegetation and a semi-arid climate for a major part of the year. The work described herein is an attempt to isolate and identify the Hyphomycete fungi in the soils of this region and to study the impact of seasonal variations and select physico-chemical parameters of the soil on the fungal numbers.