[oral presentation] Myxomycetes in Africa, the present state

Africa, the world’s second largest continent, holds a wide range of terrestrial ecosystems and therefor a high potential of myxobiota. In this presentation we bring an updated overview of the data on myxomycetes or slime molds in Africa compiled from literature and unpublished records from various herbarium collections. A total of 375 myxomycete taxa from 5 orders and 53 genera are reported from Africa. This amount is unevenly distributed over the 61 African countries and territories. In only 9.8% of the countries intensive surveys have been carried out, resulting in checklists reporting over 100 species. The study of myxomycetes has been sporadic in 54.1% of the African countries, with results on reported taxa ranging from less than 10 to up to 100 species. So far, for 36.1% of the countries no information is known on research conducted on slime molds, nor on records of myxomycete collections.
We compared the species assemblage of the largest myxomycete checklists from selected African phytogeographic regions to similar areas in other parts of the world. In addition, we focus on a study carried out in the Man and Biosphere Reserve of Yangambi (D.R. Congo) where species diversity was investigated in old-growth and in regrowth forests. This investigation resulted in novel ideas on conservation as opposed to traditional strategies which put more emphasis on climax vegetation.
Slime molds constitute a significant component of decomposing process and an increasing number of studies indicates the importance of these amoebae in the soil biome as predators of bacteria. Therefore, it is essential to study their biodiversity especially in view of global climate change and its resulting consequences of changes in soil quality, adequate and sufficient data are needed from all potentially vulnerable areas in Africa.

Publication year:2017