Presentation include a brief account on diversity and distribution of different fungal groups.

2. CONTENTS
 Introduction
 Necessary for describing fungi
 Diversity in numbers
 Diversity in their habitats
 Diversity in kingdom Mycota
 Estimation of Fungal diversity
 Conservation of fungi
 Conclusion
 References

3. FUNGAL DIVERSITY
 Fungi are unique and large group of organisms
found virtually in every ecological niche.
 Fungal diversity is the microbial diversity can be
defined as “sum total of fungi and their genetic
wealth”.
 According to an estimate 1.5 million fungal species
on the planet (Hawksworth, 2001) of whish
approximately 7% have been described. Among
1.5 million species 70,000 species are described.
 In Global biodiversity, fungi are in 4th place.

4.  India is the 8th largest mega diversity of fungi by
constituting 17,599 species.
 The variety and galaxy of fungi and their natural beauty
occupy prime place in the biological world in India has
been the cradle of such fungi.
 Tropical regions of the world considered to have
highest diversity of Fungi.
 The size of the ranges from micro to macro.
 As about 1800 fungi new to science are described
every year and less than 100 species are sequenced
each year.

5. Necessary of describing new
fungi
 The possible habitats of fungi include soil, air, water,
extreme environments, new vegetation types,
aquatic, atmosphere, plants insect etc.
 Fungi are the source of newer antibiotics, enzymes,
hormones, immunosuppressant, food colorants,
Bioinsecticides etc.
 Only a fraction of total fungal wealth is exploited by
humans.
 15-30% of the fungal species are unknown which
are science represents and having enormous
genetic resource of high economic value.

6. Diversity in Fungal habitats
 In temperate deserts, mycorrhiza, agarics, rust and
smuts are common.
 Marine fungi are such specialized fungi estimate
more than 1,500 species which are characterized by
stick spore appendages.
 Fresh water fungi are of more than 3000 species.
 Soil is the high fungal diversity habitat consists of
more than 3,150 species and 70% are available for
culture.
 About 20% of all fungi and 40% of the ascomycetes
(13,500 species) are lichen forming fungi.

7.  Mycorrhizal fungi are of two types
1.Arbuscular mycorrhizae(AM)-These are the
members of Glomeromycetes.They are present
in 80% of all plants.
2. Ectomycorrhizae

8. Fungal diversity in numbers
The number of described fungi

10. In Kingdom Mycota , more diversified species are
observe only in some division(with respect to India)
1.Mastigomycotina
 The members of this sub division are mostly aquatic
in habitat.
 They colonize diverse habitats, such as water, humid
soils, insects etc.
 They may be saprophytes or parasites. On the basis
of zoospores and oospores it is grouped into sub-
division consisting of 204 genera and 1160 species.
 The oomycetes which are responsible for several
plant disease contain 74 genera and 580 species.

11. 2.Zygomycotina
 This is the primitive among the Amastigomycotina.
 Majority of them are saprobes they may be
parasites.
 Trichomycetes are attached to the cuticle and
digestive tracts of arthropods.
 About 1000 species are reported from India.
 The common representatives are Rhizopus species,
Mucor species etc.
 Saksenea vermiformis is the zygomycete used in
Medical Mycology.

12. 3.Ascomycotina
 It is the largest sub division consists of 2,720 genera
and 28,650 species.
 Ascomycetous fungi are common in sugar-rich
environment.
 The common mycelial members are Chaetomium,
Xalaria, Neurospora, Ascobolus are common
saprophytes in soil.
 Ascomycetes form approximately 40 to 45% of total
fungal population.

13. 4.Basidiomycotina
 The common representatives are mushroom,
toadstools, puffballs, stinkhorns, shelf fungi, rusts
and smut.
 More than 2000 species of mushroom are edible.
Singer had reported 1,320 species belonging to
129 genera under Agaricales.
 Mushroom have high economic value and also a
source of food. Some of them are poisonous.
 Armillaria mellea which destroys a wide range of
woody and herbaceous plants.

14. 5.Deuteromycotina
 The are commonly called as imperfect fungi.
 It is considered as an Artificial group.
 Some species of Deuteromycotina produces a
special toxin called Alfa toxin which are
carcinogenic and mutagenic.
 Deuteromycetes comprise of 2,400 genera with
2000 species. About 800 species are reported
from India.

15. Estimation of Fungal diversity
Estimation of Fungal diversity is commonly by two
methods:
1.Cultural method: this method is used for isolation and
enumeration of fungi from different environmental
niche.
This method involves sampling, laboratory
cultivation and identification of fungi using
dichotomous keys.
2.Molecular method: This technique is based on the
mitochondrial or nuclear DNA . Estimation done
through molecular techniques.

16. Conservation of Fungi
 The conservation of fungal species is an important
factor to maintain the environment and to conserve
diversified species.
 E.O. Wilson estimated that 50,000 fungal species are
disappearing every year.
 Moore et.al have suggested the 3 steps for fungal
conservation. They are
1. Conservation of habitats.
2. Insitu conservation
3. Exsitu conservation

17. CONCLUSION
The Kingdom Mycota/Fungi are large and diversified
group of organisms are having significant role in
maintaining ecological niche. Their diversity ranges from
micro-fungi to macro-fungi.
Although many fungi causes disease in plants,
infects human and animals, they are the source of food,
many antibiotics, food flavourings etc. But only 2% of
fungi are exploited for the human benefits. The
exploitation of fungi is possible only when we have
knowledge about their diversity and distribution.

18. REFERENCES
 David.L.Hawksworth; Mycologists February 1997; The
fascination of Fungi; Exploring Fungal diversity;
International Mycological Institute; Bake ham Lane,
Egnam(18-22)
 Sara Braco; Fungal Diversity an overview; Biodiversity
and climate research center; Polytechnic institute of
Braganza, Germany(212-226)
 http://ambjbot.org/content/98/3/426.full