Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION, cilt.18, sa.3, ss.403-415, 2025 (TRDizin)
Purpose:This study aimed to document and identify the macrofungal diversity of Koramaz Valley (Kayseri, Türkiye) by combining classical morphological examinations—including critical microstructures such as basidia and basidiospores,— with molecular DNA barcoding of the ITS region. Türkiye still harbors a largely underexplored mycobiota. Since the scope and title of this work emphasize “new macrofungal records,” generalizations in the study are based solely on the number of newly recorded taxa. Koramaz Valley, a unique ecosystem listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, had not previously been investigated using such an integrative molecular and morphological framework for macrofungi. Method: Fieldwork involved the systematic collection and photographic documentation of macrofungal specimens, with detailed recording of ecological and morphological features. DNA was extracted from dried samples, the ITS region amplified and sequenced, and the resulting data compared to reference sequences using BLAST and phylogenetic analyses (Maximum Likelihood in MEGA). Morphological and molecular data were integrated to achieve reliable species identification. Findings: As a result, four macrofungal species—Coprinellus saccharinus (Romagn.) P. Roux, Guy García & Dumas, Fomes inzengae (Ces. & De Not.) Cooke and Lepista ricekii Bon—were recorded for the first time in Türkiye based on molecular evidence. Phylogenetic trees constructed for each genus revealed strong bootstrap support for the identification and placement of the studied specimens, with some samples demonstrating close but distinct relationships to reference taxa. These findings highlight the effectiveness of the ITS region in resolving species-level relationships and underscore the need for molecular approaches in fungal taxonomy. Conclusion:In conclusion, the study significantly expands the known macrofungal diversity of Koramaz Valley and Türkiye. It demonstrates the indispensable role of integrating molecular and morphological methods in the discovery, documentation, and conservation of regional fungal biodiversity, and indicates the potential for novel species in the area. vation of regional fungal biodiversity, and indicates the potential for novel species in the area