Tree species is one of the most important determinants of
wood-inhabiting fungal community composition, yet its relationship with
fungal reproductive and dispersal traits remains poorly understood. We
studied fungal communities (total of 657 species) inhabiting broadleaved
and coniferous dead wood (total of 192 logs) in 12 semi-natural boreal
forests. We utilized a trait-based hierarchical joint species
distribution model to examine how the relationship between dead wood
quality and species occurrence correlates with reproductive and
dispersal morphological traits. Broadleaved trees had higher species
richness than conifers, due to discomycetoids and pyrenomycetoids
specializing in them. Resupinate and pileate species were generally
specialized in coniferous dead wood. Fungi inhabiting broadleaved trees
had larger and more elongated spores than fungi in conifers. Spore size
was larger and spore shape more spherical in species occupying large
dead wood units. These results indicate the selective effect of dead
wood quality, visible not only in species diversity, but also in
reproductive and dispersal traits.