The first updated checklist of novel fungi in Pakistan (1947–2021)

Abstract

The role of fungi in both natural and managed ecosystem processes is unequivocal with mycotaxa being key drivers of soil, plant and animal health. Recent advances in DNA-based species identification and classification have enforced mycologists to update national checklists for proper exploitation of fungal traits and functions. However, in some countries like Pakistan, a comprehensive checklist of fungal diversity, distribution, and their host range is still lacking. Herein, we summarize novel fungal species (including both macro- and micro-fungi) for the first time from distinct geographical locations of Pakistan. A total of 742 novel fungal species in 7 phyla have been reported in Pakistan since 1947, including 136 ambiguous species (as a result of cryptic species, taxonomy revisions, and lack of DNA sequence data) and 113 species with DNA sequence data. The compilation of the fungal name list provides an overview of the currently known fungal taxa in Pakistan and enables the assessment of the knowledge gap on the fungal biodiversity in comparison to the rest of the world. The current checklist will serve as a foundation for new fungi names to be added in the future and can be used as a reference by mycologists to retrieve fungal species from existing culture banks in Pakistan mentioned on the website, www.fungiofpakistan.com, to exploit their functional traits in the food industry, health sectors and for sustainable agriculture in Pakistan.