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To improve our understanding of the relationship between soil higher fungi (belonging to Ascomycota and Basidiomycota) and Abies koreana, we surveyed A. koreana soil fungal communities in a forest in Mt. Halla, Jeju Island, Korea by next-generation sequencing (Illumina Miseq). To confirm the soil higher fungal communities, we collected two types of soils from a defined plot: soils with dead (AKDTs) and living A. koreana (AKLTs), respectively. Soil fungi were classified into 2 phyla, 19 classes, 64 orders, 133 families, 195 genera, and 229 OTUs (895,705 sequence reads). Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) showed significantly different soil higher fungal communities between AKDTs and AKLTs (p

An algific talus slope is composed of broken rocks with vents connected to an ice cave, releasing cool air in summer and relatively warmer air in winter to maintain a more stable microclimate all year round. Such geological features create a very unusual and delicate ecosystem. Although there are around 25 major algific talus slopes in Korea, lichen ecology of these areas had not been investigated to date. In this study, we report the first exploration of lichen diversity and ecology at an algific talus slope, Jangyeol-ri, in Korea. A total of 37 specimens were collected over 2017–2018. Morphological and sequencing analysis revealed 27 species belonging to 18 genera present in the area. Of particular interest among these species was Solorina saccata, as it has previously not been reported in Korea and most members of genus Solorina are known to inhabit alpine regions of the Northern Hemisphere. We provide here a taxonomic key for S. saccata alongside molecular phylogenetic analyses and prediction of potential habitats in South Korea. Furthermore, regions in South Korea potentially suitable for Solorina spp. were predicted based on climatic features of known habitats around the globe. Our results showed that the suitable areas are mostly at high altitudes in mountainous areas where the annual temperature range does not exceed 26.6 °C. Further survey of other environmental conditions determining the suitability of Solorina spp. should lead to a more precise prediction of suitable habitats and trace the origin of Solorina spp. in Korea.

During the 2014 survey of the mushroom flora of Gwangneung forest in South Korea, we collected two specimens of boletoid mushroom growing on a felled tree of Pinus koraiensis. These specimens were characterized by a light brown to reddish-brown pileus with appressed tomentum, pore surface bluing instantly when bruised, golden-yellow mycelium at the base of stipe, and lignicolous habitat. Both specimens were identified as Buchwaldoboletus lignicola, a rare basidiomycete, based on morphological characteristics and sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS; fungal barcode). Here, we describe these specimens and provide the first report of this genus in South Korea.

A total of 560 higher fungal specimens were collected in the Gwangneung Forest from May to November of 2007. All of the collected specimens were identified; categorized into 8 classes, 19 orders, 69 families, 165 genera, and 296 species; and deposited in the herbarium of the Korea National Arboretum. Of the identified specimens, 8 were confirmed as being new to Korea and are as follows: Cudoniella acicularis (Korean name: Jeombakisotugubeoseos), Discina ancilis (Korean name: Jomwonbanbeoseos), Helvella costifera (Korean name: Galbidaeanjangbeoseos), Entoloma cephalotrichum (Korean name: Jomkkaltaejiweodaebeoseos), Mycena leptocephala (Korean name: Yalbeungatweojuleumbeoseos), Naematoloma gracile (Korean name: Ganeundaegaeambeoseos), Sistotrema octosporum (Korean name: Hweosekcheonbeoseos), and Hydnellum peckii (Korean name: Pijeopkkaltaegibeoseos).