Biodiv Sci ›› 2020, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (1): 26-40.  DOI: 10.17520/biods.2019153

• Editorial • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Threat status of non-lichenized macro-ascomycetes in China and its threatening factors

Wenying Zhuang1,*(),Yi Li1,2,Huandi Zheng1,Zhaoqing Zeng1,Xincun Wang1   

  1. 1 State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101
    2 School of Food Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225127
  • Received:2019-05-07 Accepted:2019-06-14 Online:2020-01-20 Published:2019-10-16
  • Contact: Wenying Zhuang

Abstract:

On May 22, 2018, the 25th International Day for Biological Diversity, a “China Biodiversity Red List—Macrofungi” was officially released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The List included 870 species of non-lichenized macro-ascomycetes (as “macro-ascomycetes” below). A total of 24 species were listed as threatened including 1 Possibly Extinct, 6 Critically Endangered, 3 Endangered and 14 Vulnerable, accounting for 2.76% of the species assessed. Besides, 189 macro-ascomycetes were assessed as Least Concern and 616 as Data Deficient, accounting for 21.72% and 70.80%, respectively. The evaluation method, assessment process and results were presented herein; and the status of the China’s macro-ascomycetes, geographic distribution of the threatened species and major threatening factors were analyzed. The conservation actions and advices were also proposed. Fungal taxonomy is fundamental of and essential for evaluation of biodiversity red list of threatened species. In a relatively long period of time, field investigations and taxonomic studies are critical tasks and need continuous financial support from different sources. Future evaluations of threatened species of macrofungi in China rely on co-operations among taxonomists, workers in nature reserves, ecologists and amateurs.

Key words: non-lichenized macro-ascomycetes, red list, biodiversity, conservation biology