Pyrophilous macrofungi (PM) are a narrowly specialised group appearing exclusively in
plant communities recently destroyed by fire. Their significance has hitherto been studied
only for vegetation destroyed over large areas, while in small areas of fire, i.e., microhabitats
they are viewed as independent components of the community linked only to the substratum.
In the present work, the following hypotheses were tested: (1) species structures
of PM in microhabitats depend on the type of plant community, (2) PM form communities
on a small scale which are similar in structure and function to analogous large scale communities.
We studied 20 surfaces destroyed by illegal campfires in four natural plant communities:
oak-hornbeam forest Tilio-Carpinetum (TC), lowland acidophilus beech forest
Luzulo pilosae-Fagetum (LF), suboceanic pine forest Leucobryo-Pinetum (LP), and an initialphase
xerothermic grassland community on a transitional habitat (MH). TC and LF habitats
were conspicuously more favourable for PM than LP and MH. In TC and LF fire leads to significant
loss of mycorrhizae in the upper layer of leaf litter. This provides a development
opportunity for ectomycorrhizal PM species which, having little competition, substitute
for the destroyed fragments of mycorrhizal networks. In LP and MH fire over a small surface
does not destroy more deeply located mycorrhizal associations. Another important
factor for PM influencing the quality of environment is the fertility of soil: highest in TC,
intermediate in LF and lowest in LP and MH. The results casts doubt on the concept that
PM are only synusia linked to the substratum (burnt wood). PM growing in microhabitats
constitute an important group of organisms which facilitate rapid regeneration of plant
community fragments destroyed by fire.