Fungal biodiversity is significant, with an estimated 1.5 million fungal species existing worldwide. Fungi have a worldwide distribution and can be found in diverse habitats. While around 100,000 fungal species have been described, the true extent of fungal diversity is not fully known. Fungi are classified into phyla based on their structures and methods of nutrition, reproduction, and growth. The major phyla of fungi include the Chytridiomycota, Zygomycota, Glomeromycota, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota.

1. Biodiversity of Fungus
- Purvesh Mendapara

2. What is Biodiversity?
• Biological diversity or Biodiversity is defined as the
variety & value of life on earth at genetic, organism
and ecological level.
• Fungal biodiversity means variety and variability of
fungus on earth

3. Fungus biodiversity

4. • Fungi have a worldwide distribution and grow in a
wide range of habitats, including extreme
environments such as deserts or deep sea
sediments.
• Most grow in terrestrial environments but several
species live partly or solely in aquatic habitats.
• From the biodiversity points of view fungal
biodiversity is no less than of animal & plants
• Around 100,000 species of fungi have been
formally described by taxonomists, but the global
biodiversity of the fungus kingdom is not fully
understood

5. • The fungal kingdom has been estimates to contain
about 1.5 million species. In mycology species have
historically been distinguished by a variety of
methods and concepts.
• Fungi are diversify on the basis of,
⁻ Nutrition
⁻ Structural organization
⁻ Reproduction
⁻ Growth

6. Growth
• Aquatic fungi :- Fungi are found in all kinds of
aquatic habitats growing in both in open waters
(pelagic) and at the bottom (benthic zone).
• Terrestrial fungi :- The terrestrial fungi can be
conveniently classified into several ecological
groups based on their habitats e.g. soil fungi,
symbionts, parasites
• Atmospheric fungi :- Air does not serve as a habitat.
Only fragments and spores of terrestrial fungi
adapted for aerial dispersal, constitute the “air
spora”.

7. Nutrition
• Fungi are heterotrophs that acquire nutrients by
absorption
• Secrete hydrolytic enzymes and acids to
decompose complex molecules into simpler ones
that can be absorbed
• Specialised into three main types:
• Saprobes - absorb nutrients from dead organic material
(Decomposers fungi)
• Parasitic fungi - absorb nutrients from cells of living
hosts; some are pathogenic Insects are infected with
fungus)
• Mutualistic fungi - absorb nutrients from a host, but
reciprocate to benefit the host (Lichen, Mycorrhizae)

9. Reproduction
• Usually unicellular, haploid and of various shapes
and sizes
• Produced either sexually (by meiosis) or asexually
(by mitosis)
• In favourable conditions, fungi generally clone
themselves by producing enormous numbers of spores
asexually
• For many fungi, sexual reproduction only occurs as a
contingency - results in greater genetic diversity
• Spores are the agent of dispersal responsible for
geographic distribution of fungi:
• Carried by wind or water
• Germinate in moist places with appropriate substrata

10. Structural organization
• Hyphae :- Hyphae are divided into cells by internal
cross walls called septa (singular:-septum)
• Due to septa there are two types of hyphae :
1)Septate hyphae
2)Aseptate hyphae

11. • Septa :- Septa divide up hyphae into individual
discrete cells or interconnected hyphal
compartments.
• There can be various type of septa present in
different fungi, they are complete septa, perforated
septa, dolipore septa etc.
• It act as the first line of defence when part of a
hypha is damage
• Also act as structural supports

13. Classification of fungi

14. Phylum Chytridiomycota
• Smallest & Simplest and most primitive fungi
• They emerged soon after Precambian period and
ancestors to all fungi.
• The name chytrid derived from ‘chytridion’ meaning
‘little pot’
• Ex. Synchytrium endobioticum

15. Phylum Zygomycota
• An another distinguishing feature of this phylum is Cell
wall made from chitosan chitin
• Hyphae have no cross walls
• Grow rapidly
• Ex. Bread molds

16. Phylum Glomeromycota
• These fungi are over 350 million years old indicating this
group to be oldest fungi group
• That phylum have critical ecological importance because
they are mycorrhizal symbionts of vascular plants.
Mycorrhizal fungi form important associations with the
roots of almost all herbaceous plants & tropical trees.
• Obligate symbiosis
• Ex. Mycorrhizae

17. Phylum Ascomycota
• Largest phylum of fungi having 75% of all known fungi
• Ascomycetes are ecologically important in freshwater,
marine, terrestrial habitats because they degrade many
chemically stable organic compounds like lignin,
cellulose
• Ex. Cup fungi, morels, truffles, Brewer’s
yeast(Saccharomyces cerevisiae), ergot disease

18. Phylum Basidiomycota
• Contains 30000 species which is 37% of true fungi.
These recognized as the highest evolved group of
fungi.
• Most conspicuous fungi in environment
• Ex. Mushrooms, shelf & bracket fungi, puffballs,
rusts & smuts disease