Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Thousands of Species of Fungus in the Atlantic Forest

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Jun 11 2012 (IPS) - A study by the Luiz de Queiroz Higher School of Agriculture at the University of São Paulo has identified almost 1,840 species of fungus in the soil of the Mata Atlântica, a tropical forest biome on the eastern coast of Brazil. The results are based on soil samples gathered under three species of trees. “These organisms carry out essential functions for the equilibrium of the ecosystem and could contribute to science and biotechnology. The data collected will aid their preservation,” biologist and head researcher Vivian Gonçalves Carvalho told Tierramérica.

Previous studies used laboratory cultivation methods, “but many species of fungus have specific nutritional demands and will not grow that way. Our records are more precise,” she added. Moreover, “the total number of species is probably much greater, considering the total area of the Mata Atlântica."