NaCl salinity and temperature effects on growth of three wood-rotting basidiomycetes from a Papua New Guinea coastal forest

The growth of three wood inhabiting basidiomycetes (Microporus xanthopus, Pycnoporus sanguineus and Schizophyllum commune) isolated from a tropical coastal forest of Papua New Guinea is characterized in relation to temperature and NaCl salinity. P. sanguineus and M. xanthopus present a very similar response to NaCl salinity, but P. sanguineus has a wider tolerance for temperature variations. S. commune withstands wide temperature variations, but it is the only one to present a marked salt resistance. This correlates with its abundance along the sea. The presence of P. sanguineus in the same habitat is rather unexpected since it is very sensitive to NaCl salinity. Its high growth rate probably allows it to take advantage of periods of high rains that limit salt accumulation.