Saproxylic fungi are one of the main agents decomposing wood on dead or living trees worldwide, and are a very species rich organism group. Further, fungal fruit-bodies and mycelia play key roles for the diversity of other organisms associated with dead wood, e.g. saproxylic insects. Since they are so important for biodiversity, saproxylic fungi need to be studied in relation to forestry practices. Recent studies suggest that the occurrence of coarse woody debris (CWD, diameter > 10 cm) is critical for diversity of wood-inhabiting fungi. The importance of fine woody debris (FWD) for biodiversity also needs to be evaluated and related to the importance of CWD.

Critical taxonomic work is an indispensable prerequisite for successful investigations of biodiversity in this little known organism group. Identification of corticioid fruit-bodies requires meticulous and sometimes prolonged studies under the microscope. This study will focus on so-called traditional techniques of identification, but will also use agar plates to culture species from spore prints to allow for later molecular identifications. A compilation of the rather dispersed literature of relevance to Tasmanian corticioids will be made. Survey of fruiting bodies will be performed for big stromatic pyrenomycetes, corticioids and polypores. CWD and FWD of Eucalyptus obliqua and other tree species in a range of forest areas already under study as part of the Silvicultural Systems Trial and the wildfire chronosequence project will be sampled, particularly those also used for the study of macrofungal diversity. Data from these kinds of studies will greatly contribute to the development of sustainable forestry practices.