A considerable portion of the world's fungi is classified as microfungi; however, their inclusion in conservation plans has been limited because the vast majority of these organisms are identified through DNA sequencing technology and therefore cannot be easily enumerated or assigned discrete range boundaries. The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria were primarily developed for extinction risk assessments of organisms whose distribution, abundance, and trends can be directly observed, making them difficult to apply to microscopic organisms. To address this challenge, we have developed a Microfungal Conservation Framework, which retains the logical structure of IUCN assessment criteria but replaces traditional metrics with those quantifiable using molecular occurrence data, detectability-adjusted occupancy, ecological specialization, functional importance, and degree of threat exposure. This framework is presented alongside worked examples demonstrating how sequence occurrences, habitat/host metadata, and threat layers can be combined to produce a transparent Microfungal Priority Index, even when taxonomy is incomplete or sampling coverage is limited. Ultimately, the MCF serves as a bridge between molecular ecology and conservation decision-making, facilitating the integration of microfungi into red-list assessments and spatial planning to address a significant gap in global biodiversity targets.
The first checklist of lichens occurring in the Ujście Warty National Park and its buffer zone is presented. The list is based primarily on the research conducted in years 2022–2024, but incorporates also the earlier literature data. During the research 138 lichen taxa were recorded, including 122 within the boundaries of the national park and 81 in its buffer zone. They represent various habitat groups: epiphytes (63 species), epixyles (59 species), epigeits (31 species), epiliths (39 species, both calcicolous and silicicolous) and species found on metal (20 species). A characteristic feature of the analysed lichen biota is the dominance of taxa typical of highly eutrophic habitats.
The article presents updated information on the occurrence of Entoloma conferendum in Poland. The species has been confirmed at no fewer than 132 sites across the country, spanning a wide range of habitats, including approximately 26 forested environments (accounting for 73.5% of classified records) and 11 non-forested ones (21% of classified records). New localities are reported from the Śnieżnik Massif in southwestern Poland, discovered during mycological research conducted in semi-natural montane grasslands maintained through traditional agricultural practices such as extensive mowing and grazing. The article includes descriptions and illustrations of the morphological features of the collected basidiomata. Additionally, the delimitation of E. conferendum is briefly discussed, along with insights into the species’ ecology and distribution in Poland. Particular attention is given to the historical misapplication of the name Hyporrhodius pascuus (Pers.: Fr.) J. Schröt. and its synonyms in Polish mycological literature. Based on a detailed analysis of Schröter’s original description and the examination of specimens he identified, it is concluded that H. pascuus is a misapplied name, now correctly attributed to Entoloma conferendum (Britzelm.) Noordel.
Fungi, as living organisms, offer a vast potential for synthesizing natural compounds. Many of these compounds are highly valued as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals due to their medicinal properties and economic significance. Fungi are known to produce a wide range of secondary metabolites with bioactive properties, including antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, which contribute significantly to human health and well-being. In an age, when microbial antibiotic resistance increases, searching for new therapies to combat bacterial infections is in demand. Due to their ubiquitous nature, fungi are often chosen as promising candidates in the search for new antimicrobial agents. Among them, the genus Xylaria stands out. Widely distributed in subtropical and temperate regions, Xylaria species occupy various ecological niches, including decaying wood, living plant tissues as endophytes, and even the guts of termites, making their isolation both challenging and intriguing. This article reviews the literature on antibacterial compounds derived from Xylaria species, with a particular focus on those with confirmed antibacterial activity and potential applications in therapeutic protocols.
Parmelia submontana is quite a rare epiphytic lichen in both Poland and central Europe. In Poland, it grows mainly in the mountains and in the northern part of the country. We found eight new localities of P. submontana, in northern and southwestern Poland. We report it here as a new species for Wigry National Park. Distribution of the species in Poland is presented on the map.
