MYCOGEOGRAPHY OF FUSARIUM - CLIMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE DISTRIBUTION WITHIN AUSTRALIA OF FUSARIUM SPECIES IN SECTION GIBBOSUM

The climate analysis and prediction system BIOCLIM proved useful for collating distribution records, defining climate profiles for known distributions and predicting potential distributions within Australia of Fusarium spp. from soil. The potential range of F. acuminatum ssp. acuminatum was southern and eastern Australia, with its distribution limited by high temperatures. Fusarium acuminatum ssp. armeniacum was predicted to occur only in a limited higher rainfall, temperate area in south-eastern Australia, but climate may be only a secondary factor in determining its distribution. The potential range of F. compactum was most of mainland Australia except the southern coastal fringe and south-east highlands from which it was excluded by low temperatures. No significant climatic limits to the distribution of F. equiseti were found and its potential range was the whole of Australia. Fusarium longipes had a potential range in the higher rainfall areas of the tropics and subtropics, and it was excluded from other areas by low summer rainfall or low temperatures in the wet season. Fusarium scirpi had a potential range over most of temperate and arid Australia, but was excluded from areas that were too cold, where winter rainfall was more than twice the summer rainfall, and from the hot summer rainfall areas of the tropics.