Asexually reproducing fungi play a significant role in essential processes in managed and wild ecosystems such as nutrients cycling and multitrophic interactions. A large number of such taxa are ...among the most notorious plant and animal pathogens. In addition, they have a key role in food production, biotechnology and medicine. Taxa without or rare sexual reproduction are distinguished based on their sporulating structures and conidiomata in traditional morphology-based taxonomy. The number, variation and diversity of asexually reproducing taxa are insufficiently known, even though fungi capable of asexual reproduction may provide an untapped, rich biological resource for future exploitation. Currently, ca. 30,000 asexual species belonging to ca. 3800 genera have been reported (including 1388 coelomycetous and 2265 hyphomycetous genera). Recent reports (2017–2020) reiterate that the number of asexually producing fungi is higher than the number of frequently sexually-reproducing fungi. With the advent of molecular tools and the abandonment of the dual nomenclature system for pleomorphic fungi, priority criteria were established and revisited in the latest outline of fungi and fungus-like taxa. However, species numbers and taxonomic boundaries of pleomorphic taxa and their synanamorphs or synasexual morphs have yet to be addressed. The number of species of speciose genera (e.g.
Alternaria
,
Aspergillus
,
Cercospora
,
Fusarium, Phoma
and
Pseudocercospora
), cryptic species, species of pleomorphic genera, less studied life modes (such as lichenicolous taxa, taxa from extreme environments) and species from biodiversity-rich areas still need evaluation to achieve more reliable estimates of their diversity. This paper discusses the current knowledge on the matter, with diversity estimates, and potential obstacles in several chapters on (1) speciose genera; (2) pleomorphic genera; (3) cryptic species; (4) well-studied but insufficiently resolved taxa, e.g. leaf inhabiting species, marine fungi, (5) less studied life modes, e.g. lichenicolous, rock-inhabiting fungi, insect-associated and yeast-forming taxa and (6) species from biodiversity-rich areas.
Two new species of
are described from the Yungas forest in Bolivian Andes.
is characterised by pseudostromata concolorous with the thallus, perithecia immersed for the most part, with the upper ...portion elevated above the thallus and covered, except the tops, with orange pigment, apical and fused ostioles, the absence of lichexanthone (but thallus UV+ orange-yellow), clear hamathecium, 8-spored asci and amyloid, large, muriform ascospores with median septa.
is known only in a sterile state and produces isidia that develop in groups on areoles, but easily break off to reveal a medulla that resembles soralia. Both species, according to the two-locus phylogeny, belong to
s.str. The production of isidia is reported from the genus
and the family Trypetheliaceae for the first time.
Four species of the genus
are described as new from Bolivia, based on morphological examination and phylogenetic analysis of the fungal ITS barcoding marker. Additionally, two species are reported as ...new to Bolivia (their identification confirmed by molecular data) and one previously reported species is confirmed by molecular data for the first time. Detailed morphological and anatomical descriptions are provided for all new species. Two of the new species,
Ossowska, B. Moncada, Lücking & Kukwa and
Ossowska, B. Moncada, Lücking & Kukwa belong to clade I, as defined in previous studies. In contrast,
Ossowska, B. Moncada, Lücking & Kukwa and
Ossowska, B. Moncada, Lücking & Kukwa, also described here as new to science, belong to clade III.
has an irregular to suborbicular thallus of medium size, with isidia developing into spathulate lobules, cyanobacterial photobiont and apothecia with entire to weakly-crenate margins. The large irregular thallus of the cyanobacteria-associated
has broad lobes, apothecia with verrucous to tomentose margins and cyphellae with raised margins, whereas
has a medium-sized, palmate to irregular thallus with a stipe, but without vegetative propagules and apothecia.
has large and irregular thalli with green algae as photobiont, apothecia with crenate to verrucous margins and urceolate cyphellae with a wide pore and a scabrid basal membrane. Two species,
Delise and
Merc.-Díaz are reported as new to Bolivia (the latter also as new to South America) and belong to clade III.
(Sw.) Ach., species confirmed from Bolivia by molecular data, belongs to clade II.
is characterised by a smooth yellowish-brown upper surface with darker apices and abundant, marginal isidia and a brown lower surface with golden-chocolate brown primary tomentum and sparse, golden-brown rhizines.
has a strongly branched thallus, with undulate lobes and abundant, marginal, palmate, grey to dark brown phyllidia and greyish-brown lower surface with the primary tomentum absent towards the margins.
has palmate, bluish thalli with white cilia and abundant, submarginal apothecia and creamy-white lower surface with a sparse, white primary tomentum.
is a genus of crustose lichens containing 13 accepted species that can be separated into two groups, based on differences in secondary chemistry that correlate with differences in characters of the ...sexual reproductive structures (asci and ascospores). Molecular phylogenetic analyses recovered these groups as monophyletic and support their recognition as distinct genera that differ in phenotypic characters. Species containing 2'-
-methylperlatolic acid are transferred to the new genus,
Guzow-Krzem., Kukwa & Lendemer and four new combinations are proposed:
(Lendemer) Guzow-Krzem., Kukwa & Lendemer,
(Lendemer) Guzow-Krzem., Kukwa & Lendemer,
(Guzow-Krzem., Łubek, Kubiak & Kukwa) Guzow-Krzem., Kukwa & Lendemer and
(Lumbsch, A.W. Archer & Elix) Guzow-Krzem., Kukwa & Lendemer. The remaining species produce thamnolic acid and represent
s.str. Haplotype analyses recovered sequences of
in two distinct groups, one corresponding to
s.str. and one to
, the latter being resurrected from synonymy of
and, thus, requiring the combination,
(Erichsen) Ptach-Styn, Guzow-Krzem., Tønsberg & Kukwa. Sequences of
were found to be intermixed within the otherwise monophyletic
s.str. These two taxa, which differ in contrasting reproductive mode and overall geographic distributions, are maintained as distinct, pending further studies with additional molecular loci. Lectotypes are selected for
,
and P.chloropoliaf.cana. The latter is a synonym of
. New primers for the amplification of mtSSU are also presented.
Pertusarialean lichens include more than 300 species belonging to several independent phylogenetic lineages. Only some of these phylogenetic clades have been comprehensively sampled for molecular ...data, and formally described as genera. Here we present a taxonomic treatment of a group of pertusarialean lichens formerly known as "Pertusaria amara-group", "Monomurata-group", or "Variolaria-group", which includes widespread and well-known taxa such as P. amara, P. albescens, or P. ophthalmiza. We generated a 6-locus data set with 79 OTUs representing 75 species. The distinction of the Variolaria clade is supported and consequently, the resurrection of the genus Lepra is followed. Thirty-five new combinations into Lepra are proposed and the new species Lepra austropacifica is described from mangroves in the South Pacific. Lepra is circumscribed to include species with disciform ascomata, a weakly to non-amyloid hymenial gel, strongly amyloid asci without clear apical amyloid structures, containing 1 or 2, single-layered, thin-walled ascospores. Chlorinated xanthones are not present, but thamnolic and picrolichenic acids occur frequently, as well as orcinol depsides. Seventy-one species are accepted in the genus. Although the distinction of the genus from Pertusaria is strongly supported, the relationships of Lepra remain unresolved and the genus is tentatively placed in Pertusariales incertae sedis.
Current trends emphasize the importance of the examination of the functional composition of lichens, which may provide information on the species realized niche diversity and community assembly ...processes, thus enabling one to understand the specific adaptations of lichens and their interaction with the environment. We analyzed the distribution and specialization of diverse morphological, anatomical and chemical (lichen secondary metabolites) traits in lichen communities in a close-to-natural forest of lowland Europe. We considered these traits in relation to three levels of forest ecosystem organization: forest communities, phorophyte species and substrates, in order to recognize the specialization of functional traits to different levels of the forest complexity. Traits related to the sexual reproduction of mycobionts (i.e., ascomata types: lecanoroid apothecia, lecideoid apothecia, arthonioid apothecia, lirellate apothecia, stalked apothecia and perithecia) and asexual reproduction of mycobionts (pycnidia, hyphophores and sporodochia) demonstrated the highest specialization to type of substrate, tree species and forest community. Thallus type (foliose, fruticose, crustose and leprose thalli), ascospore dark pigmentation and asexual reproduction by lichenized diaspores (soredia and isidia) revealed the lowest specialization to tree species and substrate, as well as to forest community. Results indicate that lichen functional trait assemblage distribution should not only be considered at the level of differences in the internal structure of the analyzed forest communities (e.g., higher number of diverse substrates or tree species) but also studied in relation to specific habitat conditions (insolation, moisture, temperature, eutrophication) that are characteristic of a particular forest community. Our work contributes to the understanding of the role of the forest structure in shaping lichen functional trait composition, as well as enhancing our knowledge on community assembly rules of lichen species.
The new genus
Pseudolepraria
Kukwa, Jabłońska, Kosecka & Guzow-Krzemińska is introduced to accommodate
Lepraria stephaniana
Elix, Flakus & Kukwa. Phylogenetic analyses of nucITS, nucLSU, mtSSU and ...RPB2 markers recovered the new genus in the family Ramalinaceae with strong support. The genus is characterised by its thick, unstratified thallus composed entirely of soredia-like granules, the presence of 4-
O
-methylleprolomin, salazinic acid, zeorin and unknown terpenoid, and its phylogenetic position. The new combination,
P. stephaniana
(Elix, Flakus & Kukwa) Kukwa, Jabłońska, Kosecka & Guzow-Krzemińska, is proposed.
•Patterns of species richness of bryophytes and lichens were studied.•Predictive power of cryptogams as indicators of forest naturalness was tested.•Richness of lichens was a significant indicator of ...forest naturalness.
The aim of this study was to test the sensitivity of epiphytic and epixylic bryophytes and lichens as indicators of forest naturalness, by comparing their diversity patterns with forest structural, compositional and historical features associated with different management/protection regimes and protection time spans. The study was carried out in the Białowieża Forest (Poland). Out of 1370 pre-existing inventory plots established all across the Polish part of the Białowieża Forest, we randomly selected 10 plots for each of the 18 plot aggregation groups resulting from the combination of 3 management/protection regimes and 6 habitat types, for an overall number of 180 plots. At each of them, we carried out bryophyte and lichen sampling on four substrates (coarse woody debris – CWD, standing dead trees, stumps, living trees). The management/protection regimes exemplifying the gradient of forest naturalness were: the 100 years-old Białowieża National Park (BNP), a set of more recently established nature reserves and managed forests. We tested differences in mean species richness values among management/protection regimes, protection time spans, habitat types and stand age classes by analysis of variance and calculated coefficients of correlation with 45 selected structural and compositional features of forest stands. Differences in species composition of epiphytic and epixilic bryophytes and lichens among management/protection regimes were tested by ordination methods. Lastly, we compared frequency of red-listed species and primeval forest relics among management/protection regimes. Species richness of lichens was significantly correlated with the degree of forest naturalness assessed by structural and historical features along the naturalness gradient, with the highest number of species recorded in BNP and the lower in managed stands, while bryophyte number did not exhibit a clear dependence on the management regimes. Relic species of primeval forests and red-listed species occurred with significantly higher frequency in protected areas than in managed forests for both lichens and bryophytes, with the highest frequency observed in BNP for lichens and in nature reserves for bryophytes. Volume of deadwood, particularly of CWD in advanced decays stage, species richness of undergrowth vascular plants, tree layer diversity, shrub cover and herb layer cover exhibited the strongest correlation with cryptogam species richness and cover on the various substrates. Response to light availability strongly differenciated bryophyte and lichens optimal niches. The results of this study clearly show that cryptogams, and lichens in particular, are indeed reliable ecological indicators of forest status, since they sensibly intercepted the environmental changes observable along the tested naturalness gradient.
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