New records of the fungi listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine from the Pokutski Carpathians

Biodiversity loss, degradation of ecosystems and other global concerns emphasize urgent issues in nature conservation. Fungi as an important component of biodiversity need to be protected as much as other living organisms. In the article, two basic strategies in conservation are outlined and recent advances in fungal conservation, both in situ and ex situ, are considered. The key role of mushroom culture collections for ex situ fungal conservation is highlighted. Conservation of species diversity and genetic resources in culture collections provides the essential basis for biotechnological potential. The largest collections of fungi registered in the World Data Center for Microorganisms (WDCM), a unique global network for ex situ preservation of fungal and microbial diversity, are mentioned. Of the existing culture collections of fungi in Ukraine, the IBK and FCKU mushroom culture collections are characterized. A list of the species maintained in the IBK and FCKU collections, evaluated in the European countries against the IUCN criteria and categories and available at the European Council for Conservation of Fungi (ECCF) website as the preliminary European Red List of endangered macrofungi, is provided. A special attention paid in the IBK and FCKU collections to cultures of rare species of fungi, particularly of those listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine, as well as the opportunity of the reintroduction into natural habitats are briefly discussed. Some examples of other rare species of fungi from these collections, potential candidates for national red-listing, are presented.

Section: гриби і грибоподібні організми Fungi and Fungi-like Organismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ex situ conservation of rare and endangered species in mushroom culture collections of Ukraine

Bisko¹,

Sukhomlyn²,

Mykhaylova³

et al. 2018

Distribution of Clathrus archeri (Phallales, Basidiomycota), a fungus to be excluded from the Red Data Book of Ukraine, within the country

Heluta¹,

Zykova²

2018

Clathrus archeri (Phallales, Basidiomycota) was considered a rare fungus in Ukraine. Therefore, it was included in the Red Data Book of Ukraine (3 rd edition, 2009) as an endangered species with a disjunctive range. However, the authors collected new information on its distribution to demonstrate that the species is a common fungus in four regions of Ukraine, namely Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Transcarpathian regions. Clathrus archeri occurs in disturbed plant communities which remain under the influence of human activities (cutting down trees, roads, grazing, etc.) and contain large amounts of organic matter, such as wood shavings, sawdust, branches, leaves, dry grass, and dead wood. In the above regions, every year a number of the fungus localities increases and penetration of this fungus into anthropogenic plant communities such as gardens, kitchen gardens, young plantations of common oak and red oak is observed. Undoubtedly, C. archeri is an invasive alien species. Moreover, the fungus aggressively invades natural and anthropogenically altered plant communities of the Carpathians and nearby territories. Consequently, it is concluded that the species is erroneously listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. Further distribution of the fungus can pose a threat to native plant communities of the Carpathians and adjacent regions. It is emphasized that any reproduction of this species in vitro following by its introduction into the ecosystems of Ukraine is unacceptable. Such intrusion into the mycobiota of Ukraine can become dangerous and lead to unexpectedely harmful and uncontrollable effects. Clathrus archeri should be excluded from the Red Data Book of Ukraine as an alien and invasive species.

Current distribution data for the red-listed species of aphyllophoroid fungi in Ukraine

Shevchenko¹,

Heluta²,

Zykova³

et al. 2021

The article provides current information on distribution patterns of six species of aphyllophoroid fungi (Agaricomycetes, Basidiomycota) listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine: Clavariadelphus pistillaris, Gomphus clavatus, Hericium coralloides, Picipes rhizophilus, Polyporus umbellatus, and Sparassis crispa. Altogether, about 500 occurrences of the fungal fruitbodies in the country are reported. Of them, over 410 recent observations have been added to those published in the Red Data Book of Ukraine in 2009. Majority of that data has been provided over the last few years via mushroom citizen science, i.e. involvement of volunteers in collecting distribution data for macrofungi with large and distinctive fruitbodies. Only specialist-verified observations were included in the datasets reported in the article. The compiled data will serve as a considerably improved basis for future re-assessments of the conservation status of these threatened species for the next edition of the Red Data Book of Ukraine.