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Biodiversity of Trichoderma (Hypocreaceae) in Southern Europe and Macaronesia

Summary

This research explored the diversity of Trichoderma fungi in Southern Europe and nearby islands, discovering many new species and documenting where different types are commonly found. The study helps us better understand these important fungi that play crucial roles in nature and agriculture. Impacts on everyday life: – Improves our ability to identify beneficial fungi used in agriculture and biotechnology – Helps understand distribution of fungi that can protect crops from diseases – Provides knowledge needed for developing new biological control agents – Contributes to conservation by documenting biodiversity in Mediterranean regions – Advances understanding of fungi important for industrial enzyme production

Background

The genus Trichoderma (Hypocreaceae) is hyperdiverse and economically important. While taxonomy and phylogeny have been refined at the species level in recent years, Southern Europe remained largely unexplored. Previous studies focused mainly on soil-inhabiting species in geographically limited areas.

Objective

To conduct the first large-scale survey of sexual and asexual Trichoderma morphs collected from plant and fungal materials in Southern Europe and Macaronesia, including French islands east of Africa. The study aimed to document species diversity, distribution patterns and describe new species.

Results

The survey revealed over 90 species, of which 74 are named and 17 species are newly described. The Viride Clade dominated in Mediterranean regions (43-62% of isolates) while being less common in Central Europe (15%). The second largest group was species with green ascospores. The Harzianum Clade generally ranged between 13-28% of isolates. The Polysporum group was the third largest, with varying percentages comparable to or lower than Central Europe.

Conclusion

This study significantly advances the knowledge of Trichoderma diversity in Southern Europe, describing 17 new species and documenting distinct distribution patterns between Mediterranean and Central European regions. The results suggest that detailed studies in other continents will likely reveal many more species. The Polysporum Group requires further attention due to potential cryptic species.
  • Published in:Studies in Mycology,
  • Study Type:Taxonomic Survey,
  • Source: PMC4779795
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