Fungal biodiversity in aquatic habitats

• DOI: 10.1007/s10531-006-9120-z
• Publication Date: 2006-10-26T08:32:31Z
• Authors: Carol A. Shearer; Enrique Descals; Brigitte Kohlmeyer; Jan Kohlmeyer; Ludmila Marvanová; David Padgett; David Porter; Huzefa A. Raja; John P. Schmit; Holly A. Thorton; Hermann Voglymayr
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; 0301 basic medicine; SDG 14 – Leben unter Wasser; 107006 Nature conservation; 15. Life on land; 01 natural sciences; 106024 Mycology; 03 medical and health sciences; 106024 Mykologie; 107006 Naturschutz; SDG 14 - Life Below Water; 14. Life underwater; SDG 15 – Leben an Land; SDG 15 - Life on Land

Fungal biodiversity in freshwater, brackish and marine habitats was estimated based on reports in the literature. The taxonomic groups treated were those with species commonly found on submerged substrates in aquatic habitats: Ascomycetes (exclusive of yeasts), Basidiomycetes, Chytridiomycetes, and the non-fungal Saprolegniales in the Class Oomycetes. Based on presence/absence data for a large number and variety of aquatic habitats, about 3,000 fungal species and 138 saprolegnialean species have been reported from aquatic habitats. The greatest number of taxa comprise the Ascomycetes, including mitosporic taxa, and Chytridiomycetes. Taxa of Basidiomycetes are, for the most part, excluded from aquatic habitats. The greatest biodiversity for all groups occurs in temperate areas, followed by Asian tropical areas. This pattern may be an artifact of the location of most of the sampling effort. The least sampled geographic areas include Africa, Australia, China, South America and boreal and tropical regions worldwide. Some species overlap occurs among terrestrial and freshwater taxa but little species overlap occurs among freshwater and marine taxa. We predict that many species remain to be discovered in aquatic habitats given the few taxonomic specialists studying these fungi, the few substrate types studied intensively, and the vast geographical area not yet sampled. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.<br/>Shearer, Carol A. et al.<br/>Peer Reviewed<br/>