Research Keyword: UNITE database

20 years of bibliometric data illustrates a lack of concordance between journal impact factor and fungal species discovery in systematic mycology

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This study analyzed 20 years of data on how many new fungal species were discovered in different scientific journals. The researchers found that journals with high impact factors (which are often considered more prestigious) did not discover more new fungal species than journals with low or no impact factors. In fact, many important new fungal discoveries were published in less prestigious journals. This suggests that using impact factor as the main way to evaluate mycologists’ research quality is misleading and that hiring committees and funding agencies should look at actual research contributions instead.

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What Quality Suffices for Nanopore Metabarcoding? Reconsidering Methodology and Ectomycorrhizae in Decaying Fagus sylvatica Bark as Case Study

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This study shows that Nanopore DNA sequencing can reliably identify fungi in decaying wood. Researchers developed guidelines for quality filtering of Nanopore data to ensure accurate identification of fungal species. They found that specific mycorrhizal fungi, particularly Laccaria amethystina and Tomentella sublilacina, colonize young beech trees growing on decaying logs and help them obtain nutrients.

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Progression of saproxylic fungal communities in fine woody debris in boreal forests of Oulanka, Finland, assessed by DNA metabarcoding

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Researchers used a novel method called MycoPins to study how fungi colonize and break down small pieces of dead wood in Finnish boreal forests. By placing sterilized wooden pins in the soil and analyzing the fungal DNA that colonized them over a year, they identified over 200 fungal species that play important roles in wood decomposition and nutrient cycling. The study compared how fungal communities differed in forests exposed to reindeer grazing versus protected areas, revealing how land management practices influence these hidden fungal ecosystems.

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