Colombia is a country for which one of the highest biodiversity rates is reported, and one of the first in the tropical areas where an effort was made to gather information on indigenous fungi. Nevertheless, mycological data are still scarce and discontinuous, above all on soil fungi. The present study wanted to contribute to unveil the large soil fungal biodiversity in the upper Andean Colombian agro-ecosystems. The studied area is located in the department of Boyacà, considered with a notable economical value, partly devoted to subsistence agriculture. More than 150 described species were revealed in this study, belonging to 5 phyla with
Ascomycota
representing the dominant taxon.
Basidiomycota
and
Zygomycota
are also well represented, dominated by species of the genus
Sebacina
and
Mortierella
respectively, mainly distributed in the semi-natural plots (woodland and grassland). Most of the species are reported as first records for Colombia. Some of them are particularly interesting for their conservation significance such as
Geoglossum fallax
, which is the dominant species in the unimproved grassland plot. The bootstrap-based clustering analysis showed a different distribution of the species in orchards and non-cultivated areas as a possible response of the fungal community to different use of soil in the agro-environment.
Pesticides can help reduce yield losses caused by pests, pathogens, and weeds, but their 22 overuse causes serious environmental pollution. They are persistent in the environment and 23 are biomagnified through the food chain, becoming a serious health hazard for humankind. 24 Bioremediation, where microbes are used to degrade pesticides in situ, is a useful technology. 25 This review summarizes data on the fungi involved in the biodegradation of chemical 26 pesticides; and their application in soil and water bioremediation. Indications for future 27 studies in this field are given.
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