Over 80% of Earth’s critical forest fungi remain unnamed, invisible to science and conservation. A global research team now reveals where to look before it’s too late.
Key Points at a Glance
- Up to 83% of ectomycorrhizal fungal species are “dark taxa”—known only from DNA
- These fungi are vital for carbon storage and forest health worldwide
- Researchers identified priority regions to find and name them before deforestation strikes
- Without names, these species can’t be protected by law or conservation frameworks
- Calls grow for accepting DNA-based naming and better global sampling strategies
They’re everywhere beneath our feet—linking roots, feeding forests, storing carbon. Yet we don’t even know their names. A new global study uncovers a silent biodiversity crisis: the vast majority of Earth’s ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi, crucial partners of trees, are invisible to science. Known only from environmental DNA, these “dark taxa” remain undescribed, unnamed, and unprotected.
In Current Biology, researchers from institutions across the globe used massive DNA databases to estimate global EcM fungal diversity and identify regions with the highest numbers of undiscovered species. Their results are staggering: of over 219,000 detected EcM fungal lineages, 79–83% could not be linked to a known species. Oceania leads in obscurity—87% of its EcM fungi are nameless.
“We’re dealing with a massive blind spot in biodiversity,” says lead author Laura van Galen. “Without names, these fungi can’t be assessed for extinction risk or legally protected.” This is especially troubling given their ecological role. EcM fungi form symbiotic networks with 6,000+ tree species—about 25% of global vegetation—and are responsible for sequestering ∼2.5 billion tons of carbon annually. Their disappearance would shake the planet’s forest stability and climate balance.
To identify the worst gaps, the team created the first global map of “darkspots”—regions rich in unnamed EcM fungi and low in research coverage. Hot zones include tropical forests in Southeast Asia, Central Africa, and the Amazon, as well as temperate areas in southern Australia, Patagonia, and the western U.S. Many of these areas are threatened by deforestation, and some host rare or endangered tree families with unknown fungal partners.
Why are these fungi still a mystery? Traditional naming requires physical specimens like mushroom fruiting bodies. But many EcM species produce them rarely—or not at all. Even when found, there’s often no funding or local expertise to sequence and describe them. “Most of our fungal taxonomy is based on European collections. It’s a colonial legacy we urgently need to overcome,” van Galen notes.
Some solutions are already emerging. The team calls for global investments in field surveys, especially in tropical regions, and for the barcoding of old museum specimens to expand fungal reference databases. But even that might not be enough. They advocate for officially accepting high-quality DNA-based descriptions as valid species identifiers—something current international codes forbid.
The consequences of inaction are clear. “We risk losing fungal biodiversity before even realizing it exists,” warns co-author Toby Kiers. And that loss could unravel forest ecosystems and global climate strategies alike.
The study adds fuel to a growing scientific push to “illuminate” the fungal dark matter of our planet. The message is clear: to protect the forests, we must first name the fungi that make them thrive.
Source: Current Biology
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