J. Indian bot. Soc. e-ISSN:2455-7218, ISSN:0019 - 4468 Vol. 98 (1&2) 2019: 01-13 TAXONOMIC STUDIES OF FLORISTIC MICROFUNGI FROM NORTH WESTERN GHATS OF INDIA RASHMI DUBEY Botanical Survey of India Western Regional Centre, Pune – 411001 Email: [email protected] Date of online publication: 31st March 2019 DOI:10.5958/2455-7218.2019.00001.9 Western Ghats, one of the biological hotspots of India, represents some of the best non-equatorial, tropical evergreen forests in the world and supports many endemic species of plants, animals and microorganism and are also facing threats of rapid deforestation. The Northern Western Ghats are popularly known as `Sahyadris' runs from TaptiHills (Gujarat), Maharashtra and Goa. The region supports Tropical semi evergreen to moist deciduous type of forest as ' type of climax vegetation. Unlike its southern counterpart, the North Western Ghats has not attracted much attention from the researcher community perhaps owing to its drier and fragmented landscape.The forest loss is relatively more in Northern Western Ghats than in Southern Western Ghats. The region has witnessed rapid urban expansion and an increase in development projects since last three decades. Unless actions are not taken to protect biodiversity, the opportunity of reaping its full potential benefit to mankind will be lost forever. This necessitates a balanced exploitation and conservation of the nation's wealth, especially plants, animals and microbes. Amongst the microbes, fungi are the most important and versatile living components of tropical ecosystems. Micro fungi are important organisms involved in biogeochemical cycling within ecosystem and have an enormous potential for bioprospecting.Therefore, there is a need to design an information system for Taxonomic characterization of microfungi that would help in the conservation and management of biological resources and also increase the Microbial wealth of the nation. Buoyant by fascinating and noteworthy results and lack of detailed knowledge on systematic taxonomic and biology of microfungi, a taxonomic studies of micro fungi from different geographical areas of Northern Western Ghats of India was undertaken. In the present study, various areas were visited in different forest ecosystems of Western Ghats and collected the live, dried, senescing and moribund leaves, logs, stems etc. The results presented in this paper are based on an investigation carried out over a period of five and a half years, from Nov. 2010 to March, 2016, on the floristic micro fungi associated with plants of Maharashtra. This multipronged effort resulted in the collection of more than 1000 samples with identification of more than 500 species of fungi. The present study area forms the type locality two new genera (Sheathnemaindicum Dubey and Moonnambeth, 2014 and Sawantomyces indica Dubey and Moonnambeth, 2014,11 new species: Custingophora ratnagiriensis Dubey & Moonambeth, 2013; Goosiomyces bambusicola Dubey & Moonambeth, 2013; Kamalomyces mahabaleshwarensis Dubey & Moonambeth, 2014;Periconia chandoliensis Dubey & Moonambeth, 2016; Solicorynespora matheransis Dubey & Moonambeth, 2014; Stigmina koyanensis Dubey & Moonambeth, 2016; Tharoopama livistonae Dubey & Moonambeth, 2013;Tripospermummelghatensis Dubey & Moonambeth, 2013; Vermiculariopsiella papaya Dubey & Moonambeth, 2013; Zygosporium cocos Dubey & Moonambeth, 2014 and Zygosporium dilleni Dubey 2014. In addition to this 21 fungal taxa were new additions to Fungi of India and 71 fungal taxa were found to be new to Western Ghats and besides this, many new host records were also reported during this period. Thus Northern Western Ghats offers an important site to study and characterize the bio-economically important fungi i.e. “Microfungi” for the purpose of conservation and sustainable management. Microbial communities play a major role in the and cryptic contribution to fungal biodiversity. decomposition of terrestrial ecosystems. It is The identification and conservation of logical to assume that the tropics, with their microorganisms diversity of Biological high plant diversity, should be housing most of hotspots of the world has been endorsed by the undescribed fungal species than in various groups as equally valuable,yet temperate plants (Hyde 2001). It is therefore characterisation and conservation of fungi has important to locate habitat with high fungal not been a priority either in India or elsewhere. diversity containing numerous rare Studies on fungi of tropical ecosystems are species.The Western Ghats supports many limited compared to those in temperate endemic species of plants, animals along with ecosystems (Sayer 2006, McGuire et al. 2012, microoorganisms and are also facing threats of Xu et al. 2013). Most of the studies from World rapid deforestation (Myers 1988, 2003). The and India fungi are concerned with mycota of the Northern Western Ghats has been Morphological identification of fungal taxa. less explored in comparison to Southern Two recent and important developments have Western Ghats (Northern Western Ghat Status greatly influenced and caused significant Report 2010), despite their higher frequency changes in the traditional concepts of Received on November 29, 2018 www.indianbotsoc.org Accepted on December 11, 2018 Taxonomic studies of floristic microfungi from north western ghats of India J. Indian bot. Soc.98 (1) 2019 :02 systematics. These are the phylogenetic microtome techniques. approaches and incorporation of molecular Fungi with sporulating structures were biological techniques, particularly the analysis observed under a compound microscope for of DNA nucleotide sequences, into modern detailed diagnostic features which aided in systematics. This new concept has been found their identification. Sporulating structures such particularly appropriate for fungal groups in as conidiophores and conidia in case of which no sexual reproduction has been hyphomycetes, pycnidia, conidiogenous cells observed (deuteromycetes). Morphology and conidia in case of coelomycetes and based diagnosis and classification of fungi has ascocarp, asci and ascospores in ascomycetes been the foundation of taxonomic mycology were considered as diagnostic features in the since many decades. We designed a study to identification of fungi. Using appropriate characterise the Morphological features of references (Carmichael et al. 1980, Ellis 1971, fungi and to assess to the diversity and 1976; Mats, shima 1975), the isolates were distribution of fungi occurring in Northern identified and assigned to respective genera Western Ghats of India. Recent studies and species. Digital images were taken using conducted in North Western Ghats have shown Digital color CCD Camera (Nikon DS Fi1) that luxuriant tropical forest habitats and attached to a Nikon eclipse 50i microscope notable wet evergreens, moist deciduous, and with interference optics.All the holotypes are scrub forest are found here. Systematic survey maintained in Botanical Survey of India, of fungi found on leaf surface, plant debris, Western Regional Centre Herbarium, Pune and fallen logs outcome in the collection of some few new findings have been deposited in interesting forms. The Fungi were identified Ajrekar Mycological Herbarium, Pune. down to species level based on conventional Descriptions of all new findings have been morphological parameters and this paper submitted to Mycobank. presents an overview of microfungal diversity present in the region. Assertively, these studies The fungi obtained were categorized into have provided a proper path, for the taxonomy Ascomycota and Basidiomycota and of floristic microfungi in upcoming era. undetermined forms. Holotypes and isotypes of each sample was properly labelled and MATERIAL AND METHODS maintained in the Herbarium of Botanical Extensive and periodical survey of various Survey of India, Western Regional Centre, ecologically different habitats of Sahyadri Pune. Mycobank, Index Fungorum of CABI range was undertaken during the course of four Bioscience (http://www.indexfungorum.org) years. Total area covered for survey was 600 sq. and systematic Botany and Mycology km. Intensity of survey was more during post L a b o r a t o r y D a t a b a s e monsoon season and it was also conducted as (http://nt.arsgrin.gov/fungaldatabases/fungus per availability of plants. Infected samples host) were cross-referred at every step to were brought to the laboratory in the analyse and confirm the floristic data obtained aluminium foil bags so that saprophytes may on microfungi of the region under study. In this not attack them. In the laboratory each infected category an effort was also made to give the sample was first examined carefully with the current name to the genera/species as directed naked eyes to have a clear picture of b y s p e c i e s f u n g o r u m symptomatology. Further processing of (http://www.speciesfungorum.org). Although infected samples was carried out by the nomenclature on these online websites is microscopic studies by preparing the slides in a also not completely in accordance with the drop of routine mounts (Lacto phenol, Cotton rules and format of International Code of blue or Lactofuschins) and glycerine separately Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, following different methods as handsections, 2011 i.e. one fungus one name concept, but the Rashmi Dubey J. Indian bot. Soc.98 (1) 2019 :03 Figure 1. Areas of Western Ghats of Maharashtra visited during filed tours. Figure 2. Important Forest areas of Northern Western