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

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

Studies of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. II. The presence of aerobic non-symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria in soils of the Sydney district

Volume: 77Start Page: 92End Page: 9

Studies of n-fixing bacteria. IV. Taxonomy of genus Azotobacter (Beijerinck, 1901)

Volume: 78Start Page: 85End Page: 8

Studies of n-fixing bacteria. III. Azotobacter beijerinckii (Lipman, 1903), var. acido-tolerans (Tchan, 1952)

Volume: 78Start Page: 83End Page: 8

Studies of n-fixing bacteria. V. Presence of Beijerinckia in northern Australia and geographic distribution of non-symbiotic n-fixing micro-organisms

Volume: 78Start Page: 171End Page: 17

Study of soil algae. I. Fluorescence microscopy for the study of soil algae

Volume: 77Start Page: 265End Page: 26

Study of soil algae. II. The variation of the algal population in sandy soils

Volume: 78Start Page: 160End Page: 17

Studies of N-fixing bacteria. VII. Cytochromes of Azotobacteriaceae

Volume: 83Start Page: 161End Page: 16

Estimation of protozoan populations in soils by direct microscopy

Volume: 80Start Page: 148End Page: 15