What Do the First 597 Global Fungal Red List Assessments Tell Us about the Threat Status of Fungi?

Fungal species are not immune to the threats facing animals and plants and are thus also prone to extinction. Yet, until 2015, fungi were nearly absent on the IUCN Red List. Recent efforts to identify fungal species under threat have significantly increased the number of published fungal assessments. The 597 species of fungi published in the 2022-1 IUCN Red List update (21 July 2022) are the basis for the first global review of the extinction risk of fungi and the threats they face. Nearly 50% of the assessed species are threatened, with 10% NT and 9% DD. For regions with a larger number of assessments (i.e., Europe, North America, and South America), subanalyses are provided. Data for lichenized and nonlichenized fungi are also summarized separately. Habitat loss/degradation followed by climate change, invasive species, and pollution are the primary identified threats. Bias in the data is discussed along with knowledge gaps. Suggested actions to address these gaps are provided along with a discussion of the use of assessments to facilitate on-the-ground conservation efforts. A research agenda for conservation mycology to assist in the assessment process and implementation of effective species/habitat management is presented

What Do the First 597 Global Fungal Red List Assessments Tell Us about the Threat Status of Fungi?

Fungal species are not immune to the threats facing animals and plants and are thus also prone to extinction. Yet, until 2015, fungi were nearly absent on the IUCN Red List. Recent efforts to identify fungal species under threat have significantly increased the number of published fungal assessments. The 597 species of fungi published in the 2022-1 IUCN Red List update (21 July 2022) are the basis for the first global review of the extinction risk of fungi and the threats they face. Nearly 50% of the assessed species are threatened, with 10% NT and 9% DD. For regions with a larger number of assessments (i.e., Europe, North America, and South America), subanalyses are provided. Data for lichenized and nonlichenized fungi are also summarized separately. Habitat loss/degradation followed by climate change, invasive species, and pollution are the primary identified threats. Bias in the data is discussed along with knowledge gaps. Suggested actions to address these gaps are provided along with a discussion of the use of assessments to facilitate on-the-ground conservation efforts. A research agenda for conservation mycology to assist in the assessment process and implementation of effective species/habitat management is presented

Global patterns in endemicity and vulnerability of soil fungi

Fungi are highly diverse organisms, which provide multiple ecosystem services. However, compared with charismatic animals and plants, the distribution patterns and conservation needs of fungi have been little explored. Here, we examined endemicity patterns, global change vulnerability and conservation priority areas for functional groups of soil fungi based on six global surveys using a high-resolution, long-read metabarcoding approach. We found that the endemicity of all fungi and most functional groups peaks in tropical habitats, including Amazonia, Yucatan, West-Central Africa, Sri Lanka, and New Caledonia, with a negligible island effect compared with plants and animals. We also found that fungi are predominantly vulnerable to drought, heat and land-cover change, particularly in dry tropical regions with high human population density. Fungal conservation areas of highest priority include herbaceous wetlands, tropical forests, and woodlands. We stress that more attention should be focused on the conservation of fungi, especially root symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal fungi in tropical regions as well as unicellular early-diverging groups and macrofungi in general. Given the low overlap between the endemicity of fungi and macroorganisms, but high conservation needs in both groups, detailed analyses on distribution and conservation requirements are warranted for other microorganisms and soil organisms

Connecting the multiple dimensions of global soil fungal diversity

15 páginas.- 5 figuras.- 99 referenciasHow the multiple facets of soil fungal diversity vary worldwide remains virtually unknown, hindering the management of this essential species-rich group. By sequencing high-resolution DNA markers in over 4000 topsoil samples from natural and human-altered ecosystems across all continents, we illustrate the distributions and drivers of different levels of taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of fungi and their ecological groups. We show the impact of precipitation and temperature interactions on local fungal species richness (alpha diversity) across different climates. Our findings reveal how temperature drives fungal compositional turnover (beta diversity) and phylogenetic diversity, linking them with regional species richness (gamma diversity). We integrate fungi into the principles of global biodiversity distribution and present detailed maps for biodiversity conservation and modeling of global ecological processes.This work was supported by the Estonian Science Foundation: PRG632 (to L.T.), Estonian Research Council: PRG1615 (to R.D.), Estonian Research Council: PRG1170 (to U.K. and Ka.Po.), Estonian Science Foundation: MOBTP198 (to St.An.), Novo Nordisk Fonden: NNF20OC0059948 (to L.T.), Norway-Baltic financial mechanism: EMP442 (to L.T., K.-A.B., and M.T.), King Saud University: DFSP-2020-2 (to L.T.), King Saud University: Highly Cited Program (to L.T.), European Regional Development Fund: Centre of Excellence EcolChange TK131 (to M.O., M.Z., Ü.M., U.K., and M.E.), Estonian Research Council: PRG1789 (to M.O. and I.H.), British Ecological Society: LRB17\1019 (MUSGONET) (to M.D.-B.), Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation: PID2020-115813RA-I00 (to M.D.-B.), Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation: SOIL4GROWTH (to M.D.-B.), Marie Sklodowska-Curie: 702057 (CLIMIFUN) (to M.D.- B.), European Research Council (ERC): grant 647038 [BIODESERT] (to F.T.M.), Generalitat Valenciana: CIDEGENT/2018/041 (to F.T.M.), Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation: EUR2022-134048 (to F.T.M.), Estonian Research Council: PRG1065 (to M.M. and M.Z.), Swedish Research Council Formas: 2020-00807 (to Mo.Ba.), Swedish Research Council: 2019-05191 (to Al. An.), Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research MISTRA: Project BioPath (to Al. An.), Kew Foundation (to Al.An.), EEA Financial Mechanism Baltic Research Programme in Estonia: EMP442 (to Ke.Ar. and Je.An.), Ghent University Special Research Fund (BOF): Metusalem (to N.S.), Estonian Research Council: PSG825 (to K.R.), European Research Council (ERC): 101096403 (MLTOM23415R) (to Ü.M.), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): 1.1.1.2/VIAA/2/18/298 (to D.K.), Estonian Research Council: PUT1170 (to I.H.), German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF): 01DG20015FunTrAf (to K.T.I., M.P., and N.Y.), Proyecto SIA: SA77210019 (ANID—Chile) (to C.M.), Fondecyt: 1190642 (ANID—Chile) (to R.G.), European Research Council (ERC): Synergy Grant 856506—LIFEPLAN (to T.R.), Academy of Finland: grant 322266 (to T.R.), U.S. National Science Foundation: DEB-0918591 (to T.H.), U.S. National Science Foundation: DEB-1556338 (to T.H.), U.S. National Science Foundation: DEB 1737898 (to G.B.), UNAM-PAPIIT: IV200223 (to R.G.-O.), Czech Science Foundation: 21-26883S (to J.D.), Estonian Research Council: PRG352 (to M.E.), NERC core funding: the BAS Biodiversity, Evolution and Adaptation Team (to K.K.N.), NERC-CONICYT: NE/P003079/1 (to E.M.B.), Carlsberg Foundation: CF18-0267 (to E.M.B.), Qatar Petroleum: QUEX-CAS-QP-RD-18/19 (to Ju.Al.), Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education: 075-15-2021-1396 (to V.F. and V.O.), Secretaria de Ciencia y Técnica (SECYT) of Universidad Nacional de Córdoba and CONICET (to E.N.), HighLevel Talent Recruitment Plan of Yunnan Province 2021:“High-End Foreign Experts” (to Pe.Mo.), AUA grant from research council of UAE University: G00003654 (to S.M.), Ghent University: Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds (to A.V.), Ghent University: Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds (BOF-PDO2017-001201) (to E.D.C.), Ghent University: The Faculty Committee Scientific Research, FCWO (to E.D.C. and A.V.), The King Leopold III Fund for Nature Exploration and Conservation (to A.V. and E.D.C.), The Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO) (to E.D.C. and A.V.), The High-Level Talent Recruitment Plan of Yunnan Provinces: “Young Talents” Program (to D.-Q.D.), The HighLevel Talent Recruitment Plan of Yunnan Provinces: “High-End Foreign Experts" Program (to N. N.W.), IRIS scholarship for progressive and ambitious women (to L.H.), Estonian University of Life Sciences: P190250PKKH (to Kr.Pa.), Hungarian Academy of Sciences: Lendület Programme (96049) (to J.G.), Eötvös Loránd Research Network (to J.G.), Botswana International University of Science and Technology (to C.N.), and Higher Education Commision (HEC, Islamabad, Pakistan): Indigenous and International research support initiative program (IRSIP) scholarship (to M.S.)Peer reviewe

Connecting the multiple dimensions of global soil fungal diversity

How the multiple facets of soil fungal diversity vary worldwide remains virtually unknown, hindering the management of this essential species-rich group. By sequencing high-resolution DNA markers in over 4000 topsoil samples from natural and human-altered ecosystems across all continents, we illustrate the distributions and drivers of different levels of taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of fungi and their ecological groups. We show the impact of precipitation and temperature interactions on local fungal species richness (alpha diversity) across different climates. Our findings reveal how temperature drives fungal compositional turnover (beta diversity) and phylogenetic diversity, linking them with regional species richness (gamma diversity). We integrate fungi into the principles of global biodiversity distribution and present detailed maps for biodiversity conservation and modeling of global ecological processes

Testing a global standard for quantifying species recovery and assessing conservation impact.

Recognizing the imperative to evaluate species recovery and conservation impact, in 2012 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) called for development of a "Green List of Species" (now the IUCN Green Status of Species). A draft Green Status framework for assessing species' progress toward recovery, published in 2018, proposed 2 separate but interlinked components: a standardized method (i.e., measurement against benchmarks of species' viability, functionality, and preimpact distribution) to determine current species recovery status (herein species recovery score) and application of that method to estimate past and potential future impacts of conservation based on 4 metrics (conservation legacy, conservation dependence, conservation gain, and recovery potential). We tested the framework with 181 species representing diverse taxa, life histories, biomes, and IUCN Red List categories (extinction risk). Based on the observed distribution of species' recovery scores, we propose the following species recovery categories: fully recovered, slightly depleted, moderately depleted, largely depleted, critically depleted, extinct in the wild, and indeterminate. Fifty-nine percent of tested species were considered largely or critically depleted. Although there was a negative relationship between extinction risk and species recovery score, variation was considerable. Some species in lower risk categories were assessed as farther from recovery than those at higher risk. This emphasizes that species recovery is conceptually different from extinction risk and reinforces the utility of the IUCN Green Status of Species to more fully understand species conservation status. Although extinction risk did not predict conservation legacy, conservation dependence, or conservation gain, it was positively correlated with recovery potential. Only 1.7% of tested species were categorized as zero across all 4 of these conservation impact metrics, indicating that conservation has, or will, play a role in improving or maintaining species status for the vast majority of these species. Based on our results, we devised an updated assessment framework that introduces the option of using a dynamic baseline to assess future impacts of conservation over the short term to avoid misleading results which were generated in a small number of cases, and redefines short term as 10 years to better align with conservation planning. These changes are reflected in the IUCN Green Status of Species Standard

Biocatalytic Potential of Native Basidiomycetes from Colombia for Flavour/Aroma Production

Aromas and flavours can be produced from fungi by either de novo synthesis or biotransformation processes. Herein, the biocatalytic potential of seven basidiomycete species from Colombia fungal strains isolated as endophytes or basidioma was evaluated. Ganoderma webenarium, Ganoderma chocoense, and Ganoderma stipitatum were the most potent strains capable of decolourizing β,β-carotene as evidence of their potential as biocatalysts for de novo aroma synthesis. Since a species’ biocatalytic potential cannot solely be determined via qualitative screening using β,β-carotene biotransformation processes, we focused on using α-pinene biotransformation with mycelium as a measure of catalytic potential. Here, two strains of Trametes elegans—namely, the endophytic (ET-06) and basidioma (EBB-046) strains—were screened. Herein, T. elegans is reported for the first time as a novel biocatalyst for the oxidation of α-pinene, with a product yield of 2.9 mg of cis-Verbenol per gram of dry weight mycelia used. The EBB-046 strain generated flavour compounds via the biotransformation of a Cape gooseberry medium and de novo synthesis in submerged cultures. Three aroma-producing compounds were identified via GC–MS—namely, methyl-3-methoxy-4H-pyran-4-one, hexahydro-3-(methylpropyl)-pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione, and hexahydro-3-(methylphenyl)-pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione

Fungal Necrotrophic Interaction: A Case Study of Seed Immune Response to a Seed-Borne Pathogen

Seeds play a vital role in the perpetuation of plant species, both in natural environments and agriculture. However, they often face challenges from biotic stresses, such as seed-borne pathogenic fungi. The transgenerational transmission of these seed-borne fungi, along with their dissemination during seed commercialization, can contribute to the emergence of global epidemic diseases, resulting in substantial economic losses. Despite the recognized impact of seed-borne pathogens on agriculture, our understanding of seed–pathogen interactions remains limited. This review establishes parallels between the current state of knowledge regarding seed responses to pathogen interactions and well-established plant defense models, primarily derived from typical physiological conditions observed during leaf infections. Examining fragmented results from various pathosystems, this review seeks to offer a comprehensive overview of our current understanding of interactions during seed development and germination. The necrotrophic interactions in Brassicaceae are described using recent transcriptomic and genetic studies focused on the Arabidopsis/Alternaria pathosystem, which illustrates original response pathways in germinating seeds that markedly differ from the general concept of plant–pathogen interactions. The co-existence of regulatory mechanisms affecting both seed resistance and susceptibility, potentially promoting fungal colonization, is examined. The vulnerable response during germination emerges as a crucial consideration in the context of sustainable plant health management in agriculture

Mystery unveiled: Diacanthodes Singer – a lineage within the core polyporoid clade

Diacanthodes (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) is a fungal genus with stipitate basidiomata and a combination of ornamented and dextrinoid basidiospores that is unique among the poroid fungi. Although some hypotheses based on morphological features speculated about the phylogenetic relationships of the taxon, they have never been tested based on molecular data. We performed molecular phylogenetic analyses including specimens of Diacanthodes from the Neotropics and Africa using the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 = ITS) and the D1–D2 domains of the 28S gene of the nuclear rDNA regions, as well as the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF-1α) protein-coding gene. Our study revealed Diacanthodes as a member of the ‘core polyporoid’ clade within the Polyporales. Two new species from South America: Diacanthodes cerebriporoides and D. neotropicalis, a new combination D. coffeae from Africa and notes on the other Diacanthodes species are presented. Basidiospore morphology in Diacanthodes and related genera is discussed in the phylogenetic context.Fil: Robledo, Gerardo Lucio. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fundación FungiCosmos; ArgentinaFil: Palacio, Melissa. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Urcelay, Roberto Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Vasco-Palacios, Aída M.. Universidad de Antioquia; ColombiaFil: Crespo, Esteban María. Universidad Nacional de San Luis; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Popoff, Orlando Fabian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Põldmaa, Kadri. University of Tartu; EstoniaFil: Ryvarden, Leif. University of Oslo; NoruegaFil: Rezende, Diogo Henrique Costa. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; Brasi