SOME PEZIZOMYCETES COLLECTED ON THE TERRITORY OF THE SUTJESKA NATIONAL PARK Neki pripadnici razreda Pezizomycetes prikupljeni na području Nacionalnog parka Sutjeska

In August 2014, a short mycological research was carried out in the Sutjeska National Park, Bosnia and Herzegovina, at several localities along the rivers Sutjeska and Hrčavka. The main objective of this research was to start documenting presence of fungal species in this area so that a provisional list of potentially rare and endangered species could be proposed in the future. Over 20 species, members of the phylum Ascomycota, were collected and examined (families Pyronemataceae, Pezizaceae, Ascobolaceae and Helotiaceae), some of which were recorded for the first time for Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a first step towards the aforementioned goal, three identified species Peziza polarispinosa J. MORAVEC, Parascutellinia carneosanguinea (FUCKEL) T. SCHUMACH., Marcelleina brevicostatispora J. MORAVEC were selected to be presented in this paper.


INTRODUCTION -Uvod
The mycological research conducted in August 2014 in the Sutjeska National Park was a part of the CfE's 2 campaign "Bitka za Sutjesku" that was aimed to provide evidence against construction of small hydroelectric power plants within the territory of the National Park, by collecting biodiversity and ecological data and evaluating potential impact from the announced construction.
The main objective of the mycological research was to produce a list of currently present fungal species, to discover potentially rare and endangered species within protected area and to assess the environmental impact from the habitat alterations.
Since the fungal data for this area are deficient and the species checklist does not exist, the results of this research can be considered as a starting point for the 1 Center for Environment, Banja Luka prospective systematic inventory of fungi in this protected area and represent significant contribution to the mycology of Bosnia and Herzegovina in general. Results are compared and combined with available official data (USČUPLIĆ 2012).
This research was carried out at several selected localities at riverbanks of Sutjeska and its confluent Hrčavka. The samples were collected and the ecological data were recorded. Three species are selected and documented in detail in this paper: Peziza polarispinosa J. MORAVEC, Parascutellinia carneosanguinea (FUCKEL) T. SCHUMACH., Marcelleina brevicostatispora J. MORAVEC.
Considering the environmental conditions, size and the area status protection, the results of this research indicate high level of fungal diversity. However, it should be noted that the results are obtained in time-limited research. In order to obtain more relevant data, further mycological exploration has to be undertaken. All three sampling localities represent alpine riverbanks habitats with a lot of plant remnants. Concerning dendroflora, predominance of the Salix (S. alba, S. caprea, S. eleagnos) and Alnus (A. glutinosa) communities has been registered. Figure 1. Localities within the territory of NP "Sutjeska" where mycological research was conducted. Slika 1. Lokaliteti na teritoriju NP "Sutjeska" u okviru kojih je provedeno mikološko istraživanje.

MATERIAL AND RESEARCH METHODS -Materijal i metode istraživanja
All registered species were photographed in situ. The specimens were collected and preserved in plastic boxes together with the substrate, as necessary for further treatment and application of vital taxonomy methods (BARAL 1992). Basic morphological characteristics and ecological parameters were registered on site.
The species collections were subsequently microscopically analysed on compound light microscope. Immersion oil lens with the magnification 1000x was used.
Collections were first analysed in tap water in order to observe their vital characteristics (different measurements, spores and paraphyses content). Further analyses were performed using the following chemical reagents: IKI -Lugol's solution (amyloidity), CB -Cotton blue (ornamentation staining), CR -Congo red (observing the excipulum structure, ascogenous tissue, etc). Ascospores were measured without polar and lateral ornamentation, using customised software Piximètre 3 .
All specimens were properly preserved by drying (exsiccata) and adequately stored in private herbariums (N.J. -Nedim Jukić, N.O. -Nihad Omerović) and data registered in Amateur mycological association electronic database (FAMU). All the specimens were labeled and assigned unique codes so as the other information necessary for the adequate usage in the GIS system.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION -Rezultati i diskusija
After field research and laboratory analysis, a number of species from the phylum Ascomycota were determined, mainly members of the families Pyronemataceae, Pezizaceae, Ascobolaceae and Helotiaceae. Beside the species presented in this paper (Peziza polarispinosa J. MORAVEC, Parascutellinia carneosanguinea (FUCKEL) T. SCHUMACH. and Marcelleina brevicostatispora J. MORAVEC), the following records are also worth mentioning: Miladina lecithina (COOKE) Svrček from a soaked beech log on the riverbank of Perućica stream (near the confluence with river Sutjeska), Peziza gerardii COOKE from the sandy riverbank of Sutjeska and Peziza limnaea MAAS GEEST. from the similar habitats. The genus Scutellinia was presented with five different taxa from several localities on Sutjeska and Hrčavka rivers and Pulvinula convexella (P.

Description and ecology
Apothecia cupuliform, less than 1 cm in diam., usually 0,4-0,8 cm, carmine red, with a tinge of violet. Usually found in small groups or less often as single apothecia. Parascutellinia carneosanguinea has almost smooth ascospores, ellipsoid and with two large lipid bodies often unequal in size, always with several smaller ones, indistinctly ornamented, finely punctate in Cotton blue, noted also when observing dry specimen, dimensions in tap water 23,9-28,3 x 12,7-15,4 µm (n = 20). Paraphyses red due to the presence of carotenoid pigments, enlarged at the apex (4-6 µm), almost always protrude above the asci; in IKI become olive green.
Marginal hairs and pseudo-hairs usually with simple (unforked) base, with much thinner walls and with less pointed ends in comparison to the hairs of the genus Scutellinia. Hairs up to 750 µm in length. Excipulum is composed of textura globulosa.
Habitat: Parascutellinia carneosanguinea was found on Sutjeska and Hrčavka riverbanks in several small groups on both sites. On all mentioned localities species was found under the mixed willow population (Salix sp.

CONCLUSIONS -Zaključci
The mycological research carried out in August 2014 in the Sutjeska National Park resulted in identifying significant number of rare species of the phylum Ascomycota. These results represent very important and valuable contribution to the knowledge on mycobiota of NP Sutjeska and for mycology of Bosnia and Herzegovina in general. These findings support the claim that Hrčavka and Sutjeska riverbanks are some of the most valuable natural habitats in Bosnia and Herzegovina and as such require extensive mycological research in the future. This will provide much better picture of fungal diversity and could result in further measures for protection and conservation of the area and its mycobiota.
However, Sutjeska National Park is facing serious ecological threat manifested in planned construction of the five small hydroelectric power plants on Hrčavka and Sutjeska rivers as stated in the public study "Hidroenergetska osnova pritoka sliva gornjeg toka rijeke Drine" 6 . Implementation of this project will lead to diverting a significant amount of river's flow through pipelines which will result in major changes in water regime (partial or complete drainage of riverbed) causing damaging alterations of the typical riverbank habitats. Such alterations may be especially destructive for the fungal species highly dependent on natural water regime and riparian vegetation that require permanent presence of humidity. Finally, this could lead to the depopulation of some species and even to their local extinction.