Fungi of Carolinian Canada

安大略的最南端形成了加拿大人所说的安大略地区，也就是众所周知的温带落叶林生物群落。该地区的原始森林覆盖率不到5%。在加拿大，鸟类、爬虫类和维管植物中的许多濒危物种仅在该地区已知，但大多数真菌的状况尚不清楚。这项研究计划的目标是确定加拿大科林西亚真菌群落的物种组成，并利用我们的研究结果来测试预测和回答真菌生物学的基本科学问题。由于科宁区是加拿大植物、昆虫和脊椎动物多样性最丰富的地方，我们预测它也可能拥有最丰富的大型真菌，当然还有许多科学上新发现的物种（未描述）或以前在加拿大没有发现的物种。会出现什么样的常见物种、稀有物种和地理分布模式？是否有证据表明，随着气候变化和人为干扰的增加，物种分布范围最近向北扩展，或其他物种消失？真菌多样性是集中在保护区，还是存在于未来不安全的地区？我们将通过以下方式调查加拿大麦卡利尼亚的大型真菌：1）建立多伦多（ROM）加拿大麦卡利尼亚现有真菌标本的数据库，并在Mycoportal.org上挖掘其他标本馆中的数据库标本。2)与公园和保护区管理人员，原住民团体和当地博物学家合作，四名硕士和一名博士生将于2022年5月至2025年4月在主要生态保护区进行大型真菌调查。定期的BioBlitzes将促进收集和提高该项目的在线形象。这一取样将根据历史收集情况列入清单，并为DNA序列核查提供新鲜样本。3)在2022-2025年及以后在生态保护区进行的真菌调查期间，我们将收集约1000份土壤和其他真菌基质样本用于DNA元条形码。进行这项工作的研究生也将通过在线序列库从以前的研究中挖掘序列数据。对采样不足的生境和真菌类群进行“差距分析”将为今后的研究提供一个重点。历史和近期采集和序列的物种累积曲线将提供取样区域的覆盖率估计数，同时认识到“完成”超出了5年努力的范围。尽管如此，我们预测，该计划将产生一个大的增长，从加拿大已知的真菌，它将提供特殊的职业培训，5名研究生和多名本科生助理。人们越来越认识到真菌在陆地生态系统中的重要性。我们的研究结果将提供关键证据，以便在一个受到发展、污染和气候变化高度威胁的生态特殊地区做出准确和明智的管理决策--就在我们的后院。

The southernmost part of Ontario forms what Canadians call the Carolinian Zone, better known as the Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome. Under 5% of the original forest cover in the region remains today. Many Species at Risk in Canada among birds, herptiles and vascular plants are known only from this region, but the status of most fungi is unknown. The goal of this research program is to determine the species composition of the fungal communities of Carolinian Canada, and to use our findings to test predictions and answer fundamental scientific questions of fungal biology. Since the Carolinian Zone is home to the greatest diversity of plants, insects, and vertebrates in Canada, we predict that it is likely to host the greatest diversity of macrofungi as well, and certainly many species that are new to science (undescribed) or have not been found previously in Canada. What common species, rarities, and biogeographical patterns will emerge? Is there evidence of a recent northward extension of species ranges, or the loss of other species, with climate change and increased anthropogenic disturbance? Is fungal diversity concentrated in protected areas, or present in areas whose future is insecure? We will survey macrofungi of Carolinian Canada by 1) Databasing existing fungal collections from Carolinian Canada in Toronto (ROM) and mine Mycoportal.org for databased collections held in other herbaria. 2) Working with parks and conservation area managers, First Nations groups, and local naturalists, four MSc and one PhD students will conduct surveys of macrofungi in key ecological reserves from May 2022 through April 2025. Periodic BioBlitzes will boost collections and raise the online profile of this project. This sampling will add to the list based on historic collections and provide fresh samples for DNA sequence verification. 3) During fungal surveys held in ecological reserves during 2022-2025 and beyond, we will collect ~1000 samples of soils and other fungal substrates for DNA metabarcoding. Graduate students conducting this work will also mine sequence data from previous studies available through online sequence repositories. "Gap analysis" of under-sampled habitats and fungal taxa will provide a focus for future studies. Species-accumulation curves of historic and recent collections and sequences will give coverage estimates of areas sampled, recognizing that "completion" is beyond the scope of a 5-year effort. Nonetheless, we predict that this program will yield a large increase in the fungi known from Canada, and it will provide exceptional career training to 5 graduate students and multiple undergraduate student assistants. There is a growing recognition of the importance of fungi in terrestrial ecosystems. Our findings will provide critical evidence necessary to make accurate and informed management decisions in an ecologically special region that is highly threatened by development, pollution, and climate change - and right in our back yard.