Pioneering a fungal inventory at Cusuco National Park, Honduras

Neotropical cloud forests are biologically and ecologically unique and represent a largely untapped reservoir of species new to science, particularly for understudied groups like those within the Kingdom Fungi. We conducted a three-week fungal survey within Cusuco National Park, Honduras and made 116 collections of fungi in forest habitats at 1287–2050 m a.s.l. Undescribed species are likely to be present in those collections, including members of the genera Calostoma (Boletales), Chlorociboria, Chlorosplenium, Ionomidotis (Helotiales), Amparoina, Cyathus, Gymnopus, Pterula (Agaricales), Lactifluus (Russulales), Mycocitrus (Hypocreales), Trechispora (Trechisporales), and Xylaria (Xylariales). In this paper, we discuss the contributions and impacts of mycological surveys in the Neotropics and propose the establishment of a long-term mycological inventory at Cusuco National Park—the first of its kind in northern Central America.

Publication year:2021

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