The genus Hebeloma in the Rocky Mountain Alpine Zone

Numerous taxa ofHebelomahave been reported in association withSalix,Dryas, andBetulain arctic-alpine habitats. However, species are notoriously difficult to delineate because morphological features overlap, and previously there was little reliable molecular data available. Recent progress in ITS-sequencing within the genus, coupled with an extensive database of parametrically described collections, now allows comparisons between species and their distributions. Here we report 16 species ofHebelomafrom the Rocky Mountain alpine zone from some of the lowest latitudes (latitude 36°–45°N) and highest elevations (3000–4000 m) for arctic-alpine fungi in the northern hemisphere. Twelve of these species have been reported from arctic-alpine habitats in Europe and Greenland and are now molecularly confirmed from the Middle and Southern Rockies, greatly expanding their distribution. These are:Hebelomaalpinum,H.aurantioumbrinum,H.dunense,H.hiemale,H.marginatulum,H.mesophaeum,H.nigellum,H.oreophilum,H.subconcolor,H.spetsbergense,H.vaccinum, andH.velutipes. Hebelomahygrophilumis known from subalpine habitats in Europe, but was never recorded in arctic-alpine ecology. Three species recorded from the Rockies, but as yet not reported from Europe, areH.alpinicola,H.avellaneum, andH.excedens. The last two have never previously been reported from an arctic-alpine habitat. For all three of these species, the holotypes have been studied morphologically and molecularly, and have been incorporated into the analysis.

Structure and Function of an Alpine Ecosystem

This book will provide a complete overview of an alpine ecosystem, based on the long-term research conducted at the Niwot Ridge LTER. There is, at present, no general book on alpine ecology. The alpine ecosystem features conditions near the limits of biological existence, and is a useful laboratory for asking more general ecological questions, because it offers large environmental change over relatively short distances. Factors such as macroclimate, microclimate, soil conditions, biota, and various biological factors change on differing scales, allowing insight into the relative contributions of the different factors on ecological outcomes.