Contribuições para o conhecimento de fungos Agaricales em morros elevados no Brasil – os relictos para a agaricobiota e o possível desaparecimento de alguns grupos

Abstract

The Agaricales, known as mushrooms, encompass a remarkable diversity of approximately 1800 species in Brazil. However, the lack of information about many of these species represents a significant challenge for a comprehensive understanding of their structure and diversity. Few studies have been dedicated to investigating unusual habitats such as isolated hills, which are generally well-preserved but haven’t been surveyed. These hills, commonly referred to as inselbergs, contribute considerably to the maintenance of regional macrofungus diversity since they are generally economically underexplored due to legal restrictions and challenging terrain. With the aim of contributing to the advancement of knowledge in this area, in situ research was conducted in two inselbergs in Rio Grande do Sul, namely Cerro Botucaraí in Candelária and Cerro do Loreto in São Vicente do Sul, to investigate the occurrence of Agaricales. Seasonal samples of macromycetes were collected between 2021 and 2022 to identify the diversity. Using conventional techniques of field collection and microscopic analysis for fungus identification, a total of 65 species of Agaricales were found, with 20 in Cerro Botucaraí and 45 in Cerro do Loreto. Lentinus villosus, Panus strigellus, and Agaricus singeri are newly recorded occurrences in Rio Grande do Sul. A low number of representatives of the Marasmius gender was observed in the studied locations, which led to further investigation. In this context, studies were identified reporting the occurrence of Marasmius genera in the states of Amazonas, Rio Grande do Sul, and São Paulo, highlighting a reduction in their diversity and quantity. Additionally, a comprehensive bibliographic review of the Entolomataceae family in Brazil was conducted to deepen the studies on the presence of these fungi in the country. The obtained results provide a solid foundation for future research, as the analysis of these findings highlighted gaps in knowledge regarding the studied fungi, emphasizing the need for further research to fill these gaps. These results were compiled into three articles comprising the chapters of this study.