Fungal literature records database of the sub-Antarctic Region of Aysén, Chile.

Laura Sánchez-Jardón,Mario Mingarro,Laura Del Rio-Hortega,Paloma Manubens,Belén Acosta Gallo,Noemi Núñez Cea,Sebastián Zambrano

doi:10.3897/bdj.9.e75951

Abstract

BackgroundTo this day, merely 8% of all estimated fungi species are documented and, in certain regions, its biodiversity is practically unknown. Inside the Fungi Kingdom, macrofungi and lichens assume a critical part in the ecosystem functionality and have a historical connection to mankind's social, clinical and nutritious uses. Despite their importance, the diversity of these groups has been widely overlooked in the sub-Antarctic Region of Chile, a crucial area in the study of climate change due to its extraordinary biodiversity and its proximity to Antarctica. Few studies regarding both groups have been conducted in this sub-Antarctic Region and the data are still scarce and inaccessible, as these are only published in specialised journals, unreachable to local communities.New informationThis publication presents a records compilation available in previous published scientific and technical reports on macrofungi and lichen diversity. In total, 1263 occurrence records of 618 species (341 records of 251 macrofungi species and 922 records of 367 lichen species) were digitised and integrated into the regional platform Biodiversity Information System for Aysén (SIB-Aysén) and into GBIF. Here, we provide the fullest dataset on one of the most diverse group of living beings in one of the the least-known world regions.

Highlights

The biodiversity of the Fungi Kingdom is immense, including organisms with varied forms, colours and life habits, from macroscopic to microscopic sizes, being present in all ecosystems on Earth, both terrestrial and marine (Tedersoo et al 2014). They are essential for ecosystem functionality (Öpik et al 2006), due to their participation in the organic matter decomposition processes and the symbiotic relationships with other living beings (Dighton and White 2017)
Macrofungi and lichens are classified within this kingdom, in addition to yeasts and moulds
Macrofungi are non-photosynthetic heterotrophic free-living organisms with macroscopic fruiting bodies which may grow on various substrates (Dighton and White 2017)

Summary

Background

Merely 8% of all estimated fungi species are documented and, in certain regions, its biodiversity is practically unknown. Inside the Fungi Kingdom, macrofungi and lichens assume a critical part in the ecosystem functionality and have a historical connection to mankind's social, clinical and nutritious uses. Despite their importance, the diversity of these groups has been widely overlooked in the sub-Antarctic Region of Chile, a crucial area in the study of climate change due to its extraordinary biodiversity and its proximity to Antarctica. The diversity of these groups has been widely overlooked in the sub-Antarctic Region of Chile, a crucial area in the study of climate change due to its extraordinary biodiversity and its proximity to Antarctica Few studies regarding both groups have been conducted in this sub-Antarctic Region and the data are still scarce and inaccessible, as these are only published in specialised journals, unreachable to local communities. We provide the fullest dataset on one of the most diverse group of living beings in one of the the least-known world regions

Introduction

Findings

Sampling methods