Scientific publications

The North Karelian biosphere reserve (eastern Finland) total area is about 3500 km², of which the protected core areas cover only 142 km². In human influenced transition zone valuable natural forests are rare (Hokkanen, 1995). From the summer season of 1993 the total of nine sites in bilberry and cowberry pine and spruce stands in mature - over aged state were investigated. The total number of 155 species of aphyllophoraceous fungi from 83 genera and 17 families compose the base of this investigation. The biological diversity of Tapionaho area included 94 species, of Lahnavaara border area - 66 species, quantity of the species at the other sites was correspondingly:

Syvajarvi and Koitajoki - 61 species in everyone, Pieni Kotavaara and Kitsi - 52 species at every site, Autiovaara - 43 species, Niemijarvi - 40 species, Petkeljarvi - 12 species. Species included into the Red book of Finland (1995) as well as indicatory species were found at every site, besides Petkeljarvi. The richest composition of these fungi was observed in Lahnavaara, Tapionaho and Koitajoki - 11 species each, 9 rare species were noted at Autiovaara, 8 species at Pieni Kotavaara and Syvajarvi each, 7 species at Niemijarvi, 5 species at Kitsi area, the most interesting is Polyporus pseudobetulinus.