Biodiversity: The 'lost kingdom' of amazing fungi

Scientists and wildlife experts warn that the earth is facing an unprecedented extinction crisis, where thousands of species will disappear. Yet at the same time much of the world's biodiversity remains unknown to science.

Fungi played an important role in greening the earth billions of years ago. Roo Vandegrift, a fungal ecologist with the University of Oregon, describes them as "the lost kingdom," given that so much is still to be learned. There are an estimated 3.2 million different species of fungi in the world; only 240,000 have been officially described.

Vandegrift traveled to Reserva Los Cedros in Ecuador in 2014 to document fungal biodiversity. He worked with mycologist Danny Newman, who took these fantastic photographs. Los Cedros was one of the last unlogged watersheds on the slopes of the Ecuadorean Andes. The majority of fungi are found in the tropics, and Vandegrift says working in the area you are "bound to" find new species.

This is Xylobotryum portentosum, which Newman describes as an "oddball fungus." It is distantly related to the Xylaria genus, but experts are unsure into which particular fungal family it should be placed. The scientists found another Xylobotryum on their trip which they believe is new to science.

The two scientists are still to finish their work on the specimens they collected. They say a day out in the field can mean months of work in the lab. Newman says there is a lack of investment in researching new biodiversity, so the pair are crowdfunding their efforts to sequence the DNA of the fungi they found.

Given there is so much undocumented biodiversity in the world of fungi, there is a real chance that many species go extinct before they are even named — like this funky fungi that has consumed an insect. Newman says it would be logical to have a lot of research trips like theirs taking place regularly. "They are not," he says, "and there is no funding for them."

Some of the species found are parasitic. This fungus is a member of the Hypocreales family, and begins by parasitizing and consuming insects and white flies. They then grow through the mouth of the dead insect host and begin feeding on the bamboo on which the insect once fed. This is a cross-section that shows a gelatinous interior that resembles a cross between a spiral galaxy and grape jello!

Roo Vandegrift says things need to be given a name so they can be protected. The Ecuadorian government has, since 2014, opened Los Cedros to mining projects. This means the habitat could be destroyed. Newman and Vandegrift are hoping that identifying and describing species that are rare and endemic to the area will help raise awareness of the danger.