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Data include soil and litter measurements for moisture, pH, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. Samples were collected from 8 different ecoregions, as determined by NEON, at various NEON/LTER and/or other experimental sites. Soil cores and litter samples were taken in the spring and fall of 2022. 

Chanterelles (genus Cantharellus) are ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with a broad host range of trees. We explored Cantharellus diversity in mixed oak forests across 12 counties in Virginia and constructed a multilocus phylogeny including large ribosomal subunit (28S), transcription elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1), and RNA polymerase II (rpb2) sequences from all known temperate species of Cantharellus. Habitat and morphological attributes, including spore size, shape, and color, were compared with described species. In total, 104 sequences from 31 specimen vouchers were generated and 11 taxa identified, including one new species, C. sabuletorum from sandy Quercus-Pinus forests of Chesapeake Bay and north-central Florida. This study also provides evidence of genetic and color variation within C. cinnabarinus and expands the known distribution of C. altipes, C. appalachiensis, C. flavolateritius, C. lateritius, C. lewisii, C. minor, C. tenuithrix complex, C. vicinus, and C. velutinus in the eastern United States. 

The Ordway-Swisher Biological Station (OSBS) is a 38-km2 reserve owned by the University of Florida and is part of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). The reserve contains several iconic Florida habitats, such as sandhill, mesic hammock, and scrubby flatwoods. While plants and animals have been extensively studied at OSBS, the fungi remain poorly known. Fungal inventories are critical to increase knowledge of both fungal diversity and species ranges, and thus to provide foundational data for a wide array of applications in ecology and resource management. Here, we present the results of a nine-year effort to collect, preserve, and DNA barcode the macrofungi at OSBS. This effort generated >1200 vouchered specimens and 984 ITS rDNA sequences, representing more than 546 species. Our sampling was dominated by Basidiomycota and revealed a high diversity of symbiotic ectomycorrhizal fungi, particularly species of Amanita, Cortinarius, and Russula. Sampling curves and both Chao1 and Jacknife1 richness estimators suggest that our DNA barcoding efforts captured only about half of the macrofungi species and that a more complete inventory would detect 897–1177 macrofungi species at OSBS. Our sampling found more species of macrofungi at OSBS than the known number of vertebrate animal species at the reserve and our estimates also suggest that there are likely more macrofungi species than plant species at OSBS. This study is the first comprehensive macrofungi inventory within a NEON site and highlights the importance of long-term monitoring to provide novel data on fungal diversity, community structure, conservation, biogeography, and taxonomy. 

Fungi contribute to ecosystem function through nutrient cycling and decomposition but may be affected by major disturbances such as fire. Some ecosystems are fire-adapted, such as prairies which require cyclical burning to mitigate woody plant encroachment and reduce litter. While fire suppresses fire-sensitive fungi, pyrophilous fungi may continue providing ecosystem functions. Using litter bags, we measured the litter decomposition at three prairies with unburned and burned sections, and we used Illumina sequencing to examine litter communities. We hypothesized that (H1) decomposition would be higher at unburned sites than burned, (H2) increased decomposition at unburned sites would be correlated with higher overall saprotroph diversity, with a lower diversity in autoclaved samples, and (H3) pyrophilous fungal diversity would be higher at burned sites and overall higher in autoclaved samples. H1 was not supported; decomposition was unaffected by burn treatments. H2 and H3 were somewhat supported; saprotroph diversity was lowest in autoclaved litter at burned sites, but pyrophilous fungal diversity was the highest. Pyrophilous fungal diversity significantly contributed to litter decomposition rates, while saprotroph diversity did not. Our findings indicate that fire-adapted prairies host a suite of pyrophilous saprotrophic fungi, and that these fungi play a primary role in litter decomposition post-fire when other fire-sensitive fungal saprotrophs are less abundant. 

Cistaceae are shrubs, subshrubs and herbs that often occur in stressful, fire-prone or disturbed environments and form ectomycorrhizal (ECM) associations with symbiotic fungi. Although some Cistaceae are long-lived shrubs that grow to significant size, others are herbaceous annuals or short-lived plants. Thus, Cistaceae are atypical ECM hosts that are fundamentally different in their biology from trees that are the more typically studied ECM hosts. The Mediterranean region is the center of diversity for Cistaceae and the ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with Cistaceae hosts have primarily been studied in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Mediterranean Cistaceae often host diverse communities of ECM fungi, but they also act as hosts for some ECM fungi that putatively show host-specificity or strong host preference for Cistaceae (including species of Delastria, Hebeloma, Terfezia, and Tirmania). The ECM associations of Cistaceae in North America, however, remain highly understudied. Here we use fungal DNA metabarcoding to document the ectomycorrhizal fungal communities associated with Crocanthemum and Lechea (Cistaceae) in open, fire-prone sandhill habitats in north Florida. At each site we also sampled nearby Pinus to determine whether small, herbaceous Cistaceae have specialized ECM fungi or whether they share their ECM fungal community with nearby pines. The ECM communities of Florida Cistaceae are dominated by Cenococcum (Ascomycota) and Russula (Basidiomycota) species but were also significantly associated with Delastria, an understudied genus of mostly truffle-like Pezizales (Ascomycota). Although many Cistaceae ECM fungi were shared with neighboring pines, the ECM communities with Cistaceae were nonetheless significantly different than those of pines. 

The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) is gathering select ecological and taxonomic data across 81 sites in the United States and Puerto Rico. Lichens are one of the organismal groups that NEON has not yet assessed across these sites. Here we sampled lichens at Ordway-Swisher Biological Station (OSBS), a NEON site in north central Florida, to provide a baseline survey of the commonly encountered macrolichens (foliose, fruticose, and squamulose lichens). Macrolichens represent a subset of observable lichens and are more commonly surveyed than crustose lichens. Seventy-four species of macrolichens were collected, including 25 occurrences that constitute new records for Putnam County, Florida. The lichen diversity at OSBS comprised approximately 30% of the macrolichen diversity known from the entire state of Florida. Fifty-four taxa are common in the state of Florida, 12 infrequent across the state, and eight are considered rare. Macrolichens were the seventh most species-rich taxonomic groups at OSBS and more diverse than the NEON focal groups of mammals and fish. Lastly, we suggest a theoretical roadmap for how lichenologists could work together with NEON to include lichens in future datasets. We hope that biologists focused on other key organismal groups will sample in NEON sites so that NEON data can be leveraged appropriately in future cross-taxon studies of biodiversity at the continental scale. 

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Argentina, Neocamarosporium halophilum in leaf spots of Atriplex undulata. Australia, Aschersonia merianiae on scale insect (Coccoidea), Curvularia huamulaniae isolated from air, Hevansia mainiae on dead spider, Ophiocordyceps poecilometigena on Poecilometis sp. Bolivia, Lecanora menthoides on sandstone, in open semi-desert montane areas, Sticta monlueckiorum corticolous in a forest, Trichonectria epimegalosporae on apothecia of corticolous Megalospora sulphurata var. sulphurata, Trichonectria puncteliae on the thallus of Punctelia borreri. Brazil, Catenomargarita pseudocercosporicola (incl. Catenomargarita gen. nov.) hyperparasitic on Pseudocercospora fijiensis on leaves of Musa acuminata, Tulasnella restingae on protocorms and roots of Epidendrum fulgens. Bulgaria, Anthracoidea umbrosae on Carex spp. Croatia, Hymenoscyphus radicis from surface-sterilised, asymptomatic roots of Microthlaspi erraticum, Orbilia multiserpentina on wood of decorticated branches of Quercus pubescens. France, Calosporella punctatispora on dead corticated twigs of Acer opalus. French West Indies (Martinique), Eutypella lechatii on dead corticated palm stem. Germany, Arrhenia alcalinophila on loamy soil. Iceland, Cistella blauvikensis on dead grass (Poaceae). India, Fulvifomes maritimus on living Peltophorum pterocarpum, Fulvifomes natarajanii on dead wood of Prosopis juliflora, Fulvifomes subazonatus on trunk of Azadirachta indica, Macrolepiota bharadwajii on moist soil near the forest, Narcissea delicata on decaying elephant dung, Paramyrothecium indicum on living leaves of Hibiscus hispidissimus, Trichoglossum syamviswanathii on moist soil near the base of a bamboo plantation. Iran, Vacuiphoma astragalicola from stem canker of Astragalus sarcocolla. Malaysia, Neoeriomycopsis fissistigmae (incl. Neoeriomycopsidaceae fam. nov.) on leaf spots on flower Fissistigma sp. Namibia, Exophiala lichenicola lichenicolous on Acarospora cf. luederitzensis. Netherlands, Entoloma occultatum on soil, Extremus caricis on dead leaves of Carex sp., Inocybe pseudomytiliodora on loamy soil. Norway, Inocybe guldeniae on calcareous soil, Inocybe rupestroides on gravelly soil. Pakistan, Hymenagaricus brunneodiscus on soil. Philippines, Ophiocordyceps philippinensis parasitic on Asilus sp. Poland, Hawksworthiomyces ciconiae isolated from Ciconia ciconia nest, Plectosphaerella vigrensis from leaf spots on Impatiens noli-tangere, Xenoramularia epitaxicola from sooty mould community on Taxus baccata. Portugal, Inocybe dagamae on clay soil. Saudi Arabia, Diaporthe jazanensis on branches of Coffea arabica. South Africa, Alternaria moraeae on dead leaves of Moraea sp., Bonitomyces buffelskloofinus (incl. Bonitomyces gen. nov.) on dead twigs of unknown tree, Constrictochalara koukolii on living leaves of Itea rhamnoides colonised by a Meliola sp., Cylindromonium lichenophilum on Parmelina tiliacea, Gamszarella buffelskloofina (incl. Gamszarella gen. nov.) on dead insect, Isthmosporiella africana (incl. Isthmosporiella gen. nov.) on dead twigs of unknown tree, Nothoeucasphaeria buffelskloofina (incl. Nothoeucasphaeria gen. nov.), on dead twigs of unknown tree, Nothomicrothyrium beaucarneae (incl. Nothomicrothyrium gen. nov.) on dead leaves of Beaucarnea stricta, Paramycosphaerella proteae on living leaves of Protea caffra, Querciphoma foliicola on leaf litter, Rachicladosporium conostomii on dead twigs of Conostomium natalense var. glabrum, Rhamphoriopsis synnematosa on dead twig of unknown tree, Waltergamsia mpumalanga on dead leaves of unknown tree. Spain, Amanita fulvogrisea on limestone soil, in mixed forest, Amanita herculis in open Quercus forest, Vuilleminia beltraniae on Cistus symphytifolius. Sweden, Pachyella pulchella on decaying wood on sand-silt riverbank. Thailand, Deniquelata cassiae on dead stem of Cassia fistula, Stomiopeltis thailandica on dead twigs of Magnolia champaca. Ukraine, Circinaria podoliana on natural limestone outcrops, Neonematogonum carpinicola (incl. Neonematogonum gen. nov.) on dead branches of Carpinus betulus. USA, Exophiala wilsonii water from cooling tower, Hygrophorus aesculeticola on soil in mixed forest, and Neocelosporium aereum from air in a house attic. Morphological and culture characteristics are supported by DNA barcodes. 

A multigene phylogenetic assessment of North American species of Mallocybe is presented based on analyses of rpb1, rpb2, ITS, and 28S rDNA nucleotide data. This framework enables a systematic revision of the genus for 16 eastern North American species and captures taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity in a global context. A grade of two unusual and poorly known North American species stems from the most recent common ancestor of the genus that gives rise to three core subgroups named here as clades Unicolores, Nothosperma, and Mallocybe. The grade of taxa includes the poorly known Lepista praevillosa from Florida and a new species from the southern Appalachians, M. montana, both of which appear to be narrow-range endemics. Clade Nothosperma is characterized by Australian and New Zealand species, whereas clade Unicolores is composed of six species from eastern North America and East Asia. Clade Mallocybe is dominated by numerous north temperate taxa and constitutes the sister group to clade Nothosperma. These major clades are distinguished by a combination of phylogeny, morphology, geographic distribution, and ecology. In addition, four North American species are described as new: M. leucothrix, M. luteobasis, M. montana, and M. tomentella. Several names originating in North America, long ignored or misunderstood in the literature, are revitalized and established by type comparisons and modern reference material collected from or near type localities. In addition, 11 species were subjected to mass spectrometry muscarine assays, none of which contained detectable amounts of muscarine except for two: M. sabulosa and M. praevillosa. This confirms a diffuse phylogenetic distribution of muscarine within the genus. Taxonomic descriptions are presented for 16 species, several synonymies proposed, and four new combinations made. A key to species of eastern North American Mallocybe is presented, along with illustrations of important diagnostic features.