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Where are the Missing Fungi?
Mycol. Res. 105 (12) : 1409–1412 (December 2001). # The British Mycological Society
1409
Printed in the United Kingdom.
Mycological Research News1
This contribution of Mycological Research News features : Where are the missing fungi ? ; New basidiomycetes from the Greater Antilles ; The biodiversity of fungi on Juncus roemerianus. This issue contains 15 original research papers. Fast-tracked is one formally describing the new phylum Glomeromycota for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and based on extensive studies of molecular sequences. The ITS molecular variation of four coprinoid species is examined, and pure cultures of Cronartium flaccidum have been established. Twelve papers are on a common theme : Where are the missing fungi ? These papers reconsider the 1.5 M estimate for the fungal species on Earth ten years from when it was made, investigate where the missing lichens might be found, explore fungal diversity of boletes in south-east Asia, host specificity, fungi on decaying palm fronds, species on endemic plants in Mauritius, on Proteaceae in the Cape, and compare those on some Gramineae and Cyperaceae. Fungi discovered on wood in tropical streams are analyzed, and the diversity of fungal endophytes in neotropical trees and also of wild banana is explored. The wider implications of intensive studies of fungal diversity in Hong Kong are also considered. An obituary of E. J. H. Corner (1906–1996) is provided, and the sudden death of BMS President, Stephen Moss, reported. The following new scientific names are introduced : Glomeromycota phylum nov. ; Achaeosporales, Diversisporales, and Paraglomerales ords nov. DOI : 10.1017\S0953756201215470
IN THIS ISSUE Evidence that the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are not closely related to the zygomycetes, with which they have traditionally been placed, has been growing. Fast tracked in this issue is a paper comparing the SSU rRNA gene sequences in a wide range of these and other fungi and formally establishing a new phylum, Glomeromycota, and and further three new orders for these fungi (pp. 1413–1421). For the first time in the history of Mycological Research, this issue features 12 papers on a common theme, ‘ Where are the missing fungi ? ’. These were presented at the Asian Mycological Congress in July 2000 and are introduced below by
Kevin D. Hyde, the Editor responsible for arranging the refereeing and editing of these contributions. Two news items on the same theme are also presented here : these relate to new basidiomycetes discovered in the Greater Antilles (pp. 1410–1411), and fungi growing on Juncus roemerianus (pp. 1411–1412). Also included in this number is a phylogeographic study of four coprinoid fungi based on nuclear ITS sequences (pp. 1519–1526), a report of the establishment of pure cultures of the rust Cronartium flaccidum (pp. 1527–1532), and an obituary of E. J. H. Corner (pp. 1533–1536).
DOI : 10.1017\S0953756201225477
WHERE ARE THE MISSING FUNGI ? The Asian Mycological Congress 2000 (AMC 2000) held at the University of Hong Kong on 9–13 July 2000 asked ‘ Where are the missing fungi ? ’. Twelve papers dealing with this theme which were presented at the congress are published in this issue. The scene is set with Hawksworth (pp. 1422–1432) revisiting the issue of fungal numbers, ten years since his benchmark Presidential Address. Hawksworth makes use of new data available since 1991 to argue for the 1.5 M estimate being maintained. The consensus of tropical and molecular mycologists in particular is that an increased " Mycological Research News is compiled by David L. Hawksworth, Executive Editor Mycological Research, Departamento de Biologia Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, Plaza de Ramo! n y Cajal, Ciudad Universitaria, E-28040 Madrid, Spain. (tel : [j34] 9 1 394 22 82 or [j34] 9 1 857 3640 ; fax [j34] 9 1 394 17 74 ; e-mail : MycoNova!terra.es), to whom suggestions for inclusion and items for consideration should be sent. Unsigned items are by the Executive Editor.
estimate could be justified. He concludes, however, that it is prudent to retain 1.5 M figure as the current working hypothesis for the number of fungi on Earth while additional data to test it further accumulates. Sipman & Aptroot (pp. 1433–1439) look at lichen numbers and conclude by estimating that the ‘ missing ’ lichens number about 4000 species ; they are to be found everywhere and in all taxonomic groups, but predominantly in primary tropical forests. This would result in a total of about 18 000 lichen species in the world. Watling (pp. 1440–1448) addresses the distribution of the major components of the bolete mycobiota of south-east Asia, and suggestions are made as to their possible origin, mycogeography and relationships. He considers that the final number of species of boletes in south-east Asia is likely to be well in excess of the number complied in E. J. H. Corner’s 1972 monograph. Fungal estimates rely heavily on whether fungi are
Mycological Research News ubiquitous or host specific. Saprobes, however, are unlikely to be host-specific to the same extent as pathogens. Zhou & Hyde (pp. 1449–1457) examine this problem. Concepts of host-specificity, host-exclusivity and host-recurrence are defined and discussed. Continuing this theme, Yanna, Ho & Hyde (pp. 1458–1471) present results on a study of the saprobic fungal communities on palm fronds. Their results indicate that the fungi on palms are host-specific or hostrecurrent. Significant differences were also found in the fungal communities colonising each of the different frond parts (leaves, rachis-tips, mid-rachides and rachis-bases), the greatest differences in most palms being found between the leaves and rachides. Dulymamode, Cannon & Peerally (pp. 1472–1479) present results of an exploration of the fungi on four endemic plants in Mauritius. The mycobiota that they encountered on the monocotyledonous genus Pandanus, was more distinct than that on three dicotyledonous hosts, Sideroxylon, Cordemoya and Olea. Taylor, Lee & Crous (pp. 1480–1484) discuss diversity issues and present preliminary results for fungi on Proteaceae in the South African Cape Floral Kingdom. Continuing the theme of host recurrence, Wong & Hyde (pp. 1485–1491) present results of their studies of fungal saprobes on grasses and sedges in Hong Kong. Different grass species were found to be host to different fungal communities and diversities of taxa. Overall higher diversity indices resulted from grass species offering more durable, strongly sclerenchymatic substrates. No single saprobic fungus collected in this study is thought to be specific to any one grass, however, certain fungi tended to reoccur on single grass species, but not on adjacent grasses. Ho et al. (pp. 1492–1501) examine the diversity of tropical freshwater fungi with results for fungal communities on submerged wood in streams in Brunei, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. Higher species diversity was recorded in the subtropics. Two papers consider the diversity of fungal endophytes, a topic that has attracted considerable attention in relation to postulated species numbers. Arnold, Maynard & Gilbert (pp. 1502–1507) explore the occurrence of endophytes in
1410 woody, angiospermous taxa in a lowland, moist tropical forest in central Panama! . They suggest that research based on consistent methods, and drawing first from pantropical species, would assist in determining the degree of gamma diversity present among endophytes ; at the same time, multi-species studies assessing local host preference and spatial heterogeneity would elucidate ecological patterns underlying traditional surveys of endophytes associated with single host species. Although much further research is needed to determine the true number of fungal species, they conclude that tropical endophytes are an important component of diversity estimates and contribute substantially to fungal biodiversity. Photita et al. (pp. 1508–1513) present results on the endophytes on Musa acuminata (wild banana) in northern Thailand. In comparing the unique fungi known to occur on this host genus they conclude that a ratio of six fungi to each plant appears to hold for Musa species, with a ratio of 200 : 37 or 5.4 : 1. The set of conference papers is concluded with a paper by Hyde (pp. 1514–1518) who asks ‘ Where are the missing fungi ? Does Hong Kong have any answers ? ’. The number of fungi known from Hong Kong has increased four fold over the last decade, with over 150 of the new records being new species. Hyde concludes that one can expect to encounter many new fungal species once a new host is investigated. Overall, data from Hong Kong provides strong support for the estimated 1.5 M global fungal species and that many missing fungi can be identified in previously poorly studied countries and hosts. Several other papers presented at the Congress but not addressing the issue of species numbers are also being published separately in different issues of Mycological Research. Kevin D. Hyde1 Centre for Research in Fungal Diversity, Department of Ecology and Biodiversity, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulham Road, Hong Kong. E-mail : kdhyde!hkucc.hku.hk
DOI : 10.1017\S0953756201235473
NEW BASIDIOMYCETES FROM THE GREATER ANTILLES Over 75 new species were discovered through a project to survey and inventory the macrobasidiomycetes of the Greater Antilles. The recently completed ‘ Basidiomycetes of the Greater Antilles ’ project was funded in 1995 by a grant from the US National Science Foundation to the State University of New York at Cortland, in collaboration with the Center for Forest Mycology Research of the USDA Forest Service. A summary of the project’s results was recently published in a British Mycological Society symposium volume (Lodge, Baroni & Cantrell 2001a), and a popular version appeared in The Mycologist (Cantrell, Lodge & Baroni 2001). In Puerto Rico, 21 % of the agaric fungi were previously undescribed species or varieties (Baroni & Lodge 1998, Miller, Lodge & Baroni 2000, Miller & Lodge 2001, Cantrell & Lodge 2000, 2001). Many new species of ectomycorrhizal fungi were found in association with tropical plants in Puerto Rico, the
Virgin Islands (Miller et al. 2000), and with native pine in the Dominican Republic (Miller & Lodge 2001). Even among the 208 polypore fungi in the Greater Antilles that were historically more thoroughly collected, six were previously undescribed apecies and many were new records (Decock & Ryvarden 2000, Ryvarden 2000a, b, c, d, Lodge, Ryvarden & Persomo 2001b, Lodge et al. 2001a). In addition, one new genus of basidiomycetes (Macrocybe ; Pegler et al. 1998) and one new genus of ascomycetes (Rogersonia, Samuels & Lodge 1996) were described as a result of the project. Several new species from the Greater Antilles exceed the bounds of genera as they are currently delimited, while DNA sequences from collections of known species are necessitating transfers to other genera and contributing to redefinition of monophyletic genera and families (Roberts 1998, Lodge et al. 2001a, Cantrell et al. 2001).
1409
Printed in the United Kingdom.
Mycological Research News1
This contribution of Mycological Research News features : Where are the missing fungi ? ; New basidiomycetes from the Greater Antilles ; The biodiversity of fungi on Juncus roemerianus. This issue contains 15 original research papers. Fast-tracked is one formally describing the new phylum Glomeromycota for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and based on extensive studies of molecular sequences. The ITS molecular variation of four coprinoid species is examined, and pure cultures of Cronartium flaccidum have been established. Twelve papers are on a common theme : Where are the missing fungi ? These papers reconsider the 1.5 M estimate for the fungal species on Earth ten years from when it was made, investigate where the missing lichens might be found, explore fungal diversity of boletes in south-east Asia, host specificity, fungi on decaying palm fronds, species on endemic plants in Mauritius, on Proteaceae in the Cape, and compare those on some Gramineae and Cyperaceae. Fungi discovered on wood in tropical streams are analyzed, and the diversity of fungal endophytes in neotropical trees and also of wild banana is explored. The wider implications of intensive studies of fungal diversity in Hong Kong are also considered. An obituary of E. J. H. Corner (1906–1996) is provided, and the sudden death of BMS President, Stephen Moss, reported. The following new scientific names are introduced : Glomeromycota phylum nov. ; Achaeosporales, Diversisporales, and Paraglomerales ords nov. DOI : 10.1017\S0953756201215470
IN THIS ISSUE Evidence that the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are not closely related to the zygomycetes, with which they have traditionally been placed, has been growing. Fast tracked in this issue is a paper comparing the SSU rRNA gene sequences in a wide range of these and other fungi and formally establishing a new phylum, Glomeromycota, and and further three new orders for these fungi (pp. 1413–1421). For the first time in the history of Mycological Research, this issue features 12 papers on a common theme, ‘ Where are the missing fungi ? ’. These were presented at the Asian Mycological Congress in July 2000 and are introduced below by
Kevin D. Hyde, the Editor responsible for arranging the refereeing and editing of these contributions. Two news items on the same theme are also presented here : these relate to new basidiomycetes discovered in the Greater Antilles (pp. 1410–1411), and fungi growing on Juncus roemerianus (pp. 1411–1412). Also included in this number is a phylogeographic study of four coprinoid fungi based on nuclear ITS sequences (pp. 1519–1526), a report of the establishment of pure cultures of the rust Cronartium flaccidum (pp. 1527–1532), and an obituary of E. J. H. Corner (pp. 1533–1536).
DOI : 10.1017\S0953756201225477
WHERE ARE THE MISSING FUNGI ? The Asian Mycological Congress 2000 (AMC 2000) held at the University of Hong Kong on 9–13 July 2000 asked ‘ Where are the missing fungi ? ’. Twelve papers dealing with this theme which were presented at the congress are published in this issue. The scene is set with Hawksworth (pp. 1422–1432) revisiting the issue of fungal numbers, ten years since his benchmark Presidential Address. Hawksworth makes use of new data available since 1991 to argue for the 1.5 M estimate being maintained. The consensus of tropical and molecular mycologists in particular is that an increased " Mycological Research News is compiled by David L. Hawksworth, Executive Editor Mycological Research, Departamento de Biologia Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, Plaza de Ramo! n y Cajal, Ciudad Universitaria, E-28040 Madrid, Spain. (tel : [j34] 9 1 394 22 82 or [j34] 9 1 857 3640 ; fax [j34] 9 1 394 17 74 ; e-mail : MycoNova!terra.es), to whom suggestions for inclusion and items for consideration should be sent. Unsigned items are by the Executive Editor.
estimate could be justified. He concludes, however, that it is prudent to retain 1.5 M figure as the current working hypothesis for the number of fungi on Earth while additional data to test it further accumulates. Sipman & Aptroot (pp. 1433–1439) look at lichen numbers and conclude by estimating that the ‘ missing ’ lichens number about 4000 species ; they are to be found everywhere and in all taxonomic groups, but predominantly in primary tropical forests. This would result in a total of about 18 000 lichen species in the world. Watling (pp. 1440–1448) addresses the distribution of the major components of the bolete mycobiota of south-east Asia, and suggestions are made as to their possible origin, mycogeography and relationships. He considers that the final number of species of boletes in south-east Asia is likely to be well in excess of the number complied in E. J. H. Corner’s 1972 monograph. Fungal estimates rely heavily on whether fungi are
Mycological Research News ubiquitous or host specific. Saprobes, however, are unlikely to be host-specific to the same extent as pathogens. Zhou & Hyde (pp. 1449–1457) examine this problem. Concepts of host-specificity, host-exclusivity and host-recurrence are defined and discussed. Continuing this theme, Yanna, Ho & Hyde (pp. 1458–1471) present results on a study of the saprobic fungal communities on palm fronds. Their results indicate that the fungi on palms are host-specific or hostrecurrent. Significant differences were also found in the fungal communities colonising each of the different frond parts (leaves, rachis-tips, mid-rachides and rachis-bases), the greatest differences in most palms being found between the leaves and rachides. Dulymamode, Cannon & Peerally (pp. 1472–1479) present results of an exploration of the fungi on four endemic plants in Mauritius. The mycobiota that they encountered on the monocotyledonous genus Pandanus, was more distinct than that on three dicotyledonous hosts, Sideroxylon, Cordemoya and Olea. Taylor, Lee & Crous (pp. 1480–1484) discuss diversity issues and present preliminary results for fungi on Proteaceae in the South African Cape Floral Kingdom. Continuing the theme of host recurrence, Wong & Hyde (pp. 1485–1491) present results of their studies of fungal saprobes on grasses and sedges in Hong Kong. Different grass species were found to be host to different fungal communities and diversities of taxa. Overall higher diversity indices resulted from grass species offering more durable, strongly sclerenchymatic substrates. No single saprobic fungus collected in this study is thought to be specific to any one grass, however, certain fungi tended to reoccur on single grass species, but not on adjacent grasses. Ho et al. (pp. 1492–1501) examine the diversity of tropical freshwater fungi with results for fungal communities on submerged wood in streams in Brunei, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. Higher species diversity was recorded in the subtropics. Two papers consider the diversity of fungal endophytes, a topic that has attracted considerable attention in relation to postulated species numbers. Arnold, Maynard & Gilbert (pp. 1502–1507) explore the occurrence of endophytes in
1410 woody, angiospermous taxa in a lowland, moist tropical forest in central Panama! . They suggest that research based on consistent methods, and drawing first from pantropical species, would assist in determining the degree of gamma diversity present among endophytes ; at the same time, multi-species studies assessing local host preference and spatial heterogeneity would elucidate ecological patterns underlying traditional surveys of endophytes associated with single host species. Although much further research is needed to determine the true number of fungal species, they conclude that tropical endophytes are an important component of diversity estimates and contribute substantially to fungal biodiversity. Photita et al. (pp. 1508–1513) present results on the endophytes on Musa acuminata (wild banana) in northern Thailand. In comparing the unique fungi known to occur on this host genus they conclude that a ratio of six fungi to each plant appears to hold for Musa species, with a ratio of 200 : 37 or 5.4 : 1. The set of conference papers is concluded with a paper by Hyde (pp. 1514–1518) who asks ‘ Where are the missing fungi ? Does Hong Kong have any answers ? ’. The number of fungi known from Hong Kong has increased four fold over the last decade, with over 150 of the new records being new species. Hyde concludes that one can expect to encounter many new fungal species once a new host is investigated. Overall, data from Hong Kong provides strong support for the estimated 1.5 M global fungal species and that many missing fungi can be identified in previously poorly studied countries and hosts. Several other papers presented at the Congress but not addressing the issue of species numbers are also being published separately in different issues of Mycological Research. Kevin D. Hyde1 Centre for Research in Fungal Diversity, Department of Ecology and Biodiversity, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulham Road, Hong Kong. E-mail : kdhyde!hkucc.hku.hk
DOI : 10.1017\S0953756201235473
NEW BASIDIOMYCETES FROM THE GREATER ANTILLES Over 75 new species were discovered through a project to survey and inventory the macrobasidiomycetes of the Greater Antilles. The recently completed ‘ Basidiomycetes of the Greater Antilles ’ project was funded in 1995 by a grant from the US National Science Foundation to the State University of New York at Cortland, in collaboration with the Center for Forest Mycology Research of the USDA Forest Service. A summary of the project’s results was recently published in a British Mycological Society symposium volume (Lodge, Baroni & Cantrell 2001a), and a popular version appeared in The Mycologist (Cantrell, Lodge & Baroni 2001). In Puerto Rico, 21 % of the agaric fungi were previously undescribed species or varieties (Baroni & Lodge 1998, Miller, Lodge & Baroni 2000, Miller & Lodge 2001, Cantrell & Lodge 2000, 2001). Many new species of ectomycorrhizal fungi were found in association with tropical plants in Puerto Rico, the
Virgin Islands (Miller et al. 2000), and with native pine in the Dominican Republic (Miller & Lodge 2001). Even among the 208 polypore fungi in the Greater Antilles that were historically more thoroughly collected, six were previously undescribed apecies and many were new records (Decock & Ryvarden 2000, Ryvarden 2000a, b, c, d, Lodge, Ryvarden & Persomo 2001b, Lodge et al. 2001a). In addition, one new genus of basidiomycetes (Macrocybe ; Pegler et al. 1998) and one new genus of ascomycetes (Rogersonia, Samuels & Lodge 1996) were described as a result of the project. Several new species from the Greater Antilles exceed the bounds of genera as they are currently delimited, while DNA sequences from collections of known species are necessitating transfers to other genera and contributing to redefinition of monophyletic genera and families (Roberts 1998, Lodge et al. 2001a, Cantrell et al. 2001).