Catalogue of Fungi of Colombia
Abstract
The Catalogue of Fungi of Colombia is the first comprehensive listing of the known Colombian funga. Compiled by a team of Colombian and international mycologists from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Humboldt Institute and numerous partner institutions, it consolidates expert-generated information linked and accessible through an online portal (ColFungi). The checklist is accompanied by 15 chapters written by specialists, providing perspectives on the state of knowledge on the Colombian funga, covering a range of topics, from the diversity of the main groups of fungi and the history of mycological studies in this country, to aspects of the biogeography, ecology, biotechnology, conservation, and uses of Colombian fungi and their presence in national and international biological collections. The Catalogue is further enriched by diverse supplementary material, allowing users to explore further open questions and opportunities, to develop new ideas on the use of fungi and their conservation, and to foster social and environmental awareness.
The current list of fungi from Colombia updated in the present review contains a total of 7619 species. The Ascomycota appears as the most diverse group, with 4818 species, followed by the Basidiomycota, with 2555 species. Despite this, we presume that the actual fungal diversity in Colombia could amount to between 105,600 and 300,000 species. Fungi represent an underestimated resource, indispensable for human well-being. Even though the current knowledge on potential applications of Colombian fungi is still limited, the number of studies on areas such as natural products discovery, biological control, and food and beverages, among other biotechnological applications , are increasing. With the current review, we aim to present a comprehensive update on the fungal diversity in Colombia and its potential applications. Colombia's native fungal biodiversity holds much potential within the country's current social-economical context, and the future must ensure efforts to preserve both the biodiversity and the untapped resources of the fungi in Colombia, which in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) might result in new bioeconomy avenues for the country.
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