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The aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial effect of a natural source of sulphur pollution on the species diversity, richness and distribution of corticolous lichens in a páramo zone at the mine ‘El Vinagre’ (Puracé, Cauca, Colombia). Three zones at different distances from the pollution source were established: zone 1 with a high degree of...
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... total of 104 lichen species were found on the 30 phorophytes sampled in the three zones (Table 1), of which 72 were identified to species (three to species complex), 17 to genus, four to family, and 11 that were not identified because of the absence of reproductive structures or due to unresolved taxonomy. The four trees with the highest alpha diversity had between 13 and 15 spe- cies, followed by another four with 11-13 species, and seven trees which harboured 9-11 lichen species. ...
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... Some Psilocybe species that occur in Colombia are used in Mexico as a healing element in religious ceremonies, as important In the environmental uses category, 43 fungal species were classified into three main subcategories: bioindicators, biofertilizers, and pollution control (Table 1). In Lecanorales (Ascomycota), where most lichens are placed, a high number of species ( Figure 2) have been reported as potential bioindicators of air quality (Rubiano, 1988;Jaramillo-Ciro & Botero-Botero, 2010;Simijaca-Salcedo et al., 2011;Díaz-Escandón et al., 2016). Figure 3 shows that useful lichens are mainly found in the Andean region. ...
... In environmental uses, some lichen species have been tested for their ability as bioindicators of contamination by sulphur and other pollutants (Rubiano, 1988;Díaz-Escandón et al., 2016) (Table 2). In the biofertilizers subcategory, some arbuscular mycorrhizae species have been assessed. ...
Colombia is considered a megadiverse country with a substantial number of fungal species, many of them regarded as useful throughout the history of the country. However, many of the uses for fungi have been lost due to the erosion of knowledge. Making this knowledge visible and compiling it is of great importance as a potential resource for the bioeconomic development of Colombia and as a part of the livelihoods of society. Therefore, the goal of this study was to discuss the main uses and to categorise the useful fungi of Colombia based on a systematic review of secondary data. The taxonomy for the scientific names was checked, the species' uses were grouped by general and specific categories, and the geographical distribution was recorded by Colombian regions. As a result, a list of 382 species of useful fungi was obtained and classified into eight general categories of use. The general category with the highest number of uses is food, followed by medicinal use. Despite several useful fungi having been reported for Colombia, most of them are underutilised in each category. From this analysis, it is possible to highlight that Colombia has an important number of useful fungi, most of which are not yet widely used in the country and constitute a potential resource of natural ingredients and livelihoods, especially for local communities and commercial initiatives.
RESUMEN Colombia es considerado un país megadiverso con una gran cantidad de especies de hongos. Muchos de ellos se han considerado útiles a lo largo de la historia del país; sin embargo, gran parte de los usos se han dejado de lado debido a la pérdida del conocimiento. Visibilizar y recopilar este conocimiento es de vital importancia como fuente potencial para el desarrollo bioeconómico del país, y como parte de los medios de vida de la sociedad. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de este trabajo fue discutir los principales usos y categorizar los hongos útiles de Colombia a partir de una revisión sistemática de información secundaria y literatura gris de referencias bibliográficas. Con base en esta revisión, se verificó la taxonomía de los nombres científicos, se agruparon los usos de las especies por categorías generales y específicas y se registró la distribución geográfica por regiones colombianas. Como resultado de esta metodología, se obtuvo una lista de 382 especies de hongos útiles, clasificadas en ocho categorías generales de uso. Respecto a los usos, la categoría general con mayor número de usos es la de alimento, seguida del uso medicinal. A pesar del uso de especies de hongos, la mayoría de ellas están infrautilizadas en cada categoría. A partir de este análisis, es posible resaltar que Colombia cuenta con una cantidad importante de hongos útiles, de los cuales la mayoría no son ampliamente utilizados en el país y constituyen un recurso potencial de ingredientes naturales y medios de subsistencia, especialmente para comunidades locales e iniciativas comerciales. Las número de publicaciones de investigaciones realizadas en el país y un incremento en la inversión en investigación básica y aplicada, permitirá descubrir nuevas alternativas de uso de los hongos para resolver situaciones que afrontamos como sociedad. En este sentido, la conservación de los hongos debe hacerse de la mano con las comunidades y acorde a su aplicación en diferentes campos, buscando hacer un uso sostenible y prevenir los impactos negativos que puedan afectar las poblaciones de hongos y su supervivencia.
... Therefore, most of the studies mentioned above do not provide complete lists of fully identified species, making a proper taxonomic assessment of urban lichen diversity difficult to obtain. In addition to biomonitoring using the IAP, a few studies in Colombia have assessed the impact of atmospheric pollutants, including emissions in a sulphur mine in Cauca (Diaz-Escandón et al., 2016), acid rain (Álvarez-Berrio et al., 2018), and heavy metals in lichens from Bogotá DC (Rodriguez et al., 2016). ...
... The potential application of lichens to monitor the impact of land use changes are thus far from limited to montane forest ecosystems (Ardila-Rios et al., 2015;Diaz-Escandón et al., 2016;Pulido-Herrera & Ramos-Montaño, 2016;Ramírez-Morán et al., 2016;Simijaca-Salcedo et al., 2018). Unfortunately, standardised protocols for this purpose are not yet available. ...
Lichenised fungi constitute a substantial portion of the known Colombian fungi, with 2,670 out of 7,241 species. This fairly high number is not because lichens represent a particularly diverse group of fungi but because they are relatively well-studied in the country compared to non-lichenised fungi. Lichens have traditionally been defined as a symbiosis between a fungus (mycobiont), an alga and/or a cyanobacterium (photobionts). A modern definition also incorporates components of the lichen microbiome, particularly other fungi, and bacteria. However, the scientific names given to lichens strictly refer to the primary mycobiont. Globally, Colombia ranks among the top ten countries in terms of known lichen diversity. Most top-ranking countries are outside the tropics, so this supports Colombia's position among the three most biodiverse tropical countries worldwide. The total number for Colombia is estimated at 5,000 species, almost twice the number of species currently known. Unrecognised species are predicted to be found in understudied regions, understudied groups, and in genera where broad species concepts may include substantial hidden diversity. Diverse ecological studies assess environmental factors, such as altitudinal range, topography, and habitat diversity, as drivers of lichen biodiversity. On the basis of these findings, the impact of land-use changes and environmental pollution on lichen communities can be quantified, providing the foundation for using lichens as bioindicators to monitor ecosystem health and to perform environmental impact studies. However, such applications first require a systematic inventory of the lichens of Colombia.
... ja, con simetría dorsiventral (foliáceo), o de diminuto arbusto (fruticoso), que son las más conocidas (Hawksworth et al.2005). Dentro de los costrosos se pueden encontrar los leprososo polvosos (estructuras pulverulentas muy finas), los verrugosos (superficie irregular conformaciones en forma de verrugas) y los escuamulosos (escamas), (Nash, 2008;Díaz et. al. 2014); entre tanto, los foliáceos, pueden presentar una diferenciación como gelatinosos por la presencia de mucílago debida a un fotobionte cianobacterial del género Nostoc (Sipman & Aptroot, 2007;Nash, 2008;Díaz et al.2014). Por último, los filamentosos, en ocasiones forman lóbulos semicirculares, a veces se presenta costroso, dominado por e ...
Memorias del V encuentro interno de semilleros de investigación de la Fundación Universitaria de Popayán 2021
... However, there is only one air pollution monitoring station and few studies in this city, which has not made possible the accurate determination of the current state of the air quality in the different zones of city of Ambato [9]. Epiphytic cryptogams, due to their anatomical, morphological, and physiological characteristics (e.g., they obtain nutrients directly from the atmosphere) [10], are very effective as bioindicators of air pollution in many cities around the world [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20], and also for programs and protocols of air pollution in several countries. These organisms allow early detection of signs of environmental change given that they are fully exposed to airborne contaminants [11,16,21]. ...
Air pollution is one of the main environmental problems in developed and developing countries. Epiphytic cryptogams (bryophytes and lichens) are proposed as a reliable indicator to detect environmental changes, given to their sensitivity to pollutants. In this study we evaluated air quality in the city of Ambato using bryophytes and epiphytic lichens on three land uses (urban, peri-urban and control). In each zone we selected ten trees (a total of 90 trees) for each station (a total of nine stations), where we recorded the frequency and cover of epiphytic cryptogams in a quadrat of 10 × 50 cm that was divided into 5 × 5 cm squares. Differences in richness, index of atmospheric purity (IAP) and diversity were analyzed using a generalized linear model (GLM) and changes in species composition using multivariate analysis. We recorded 39 species of cryptogams (25 lichens and 14 bryophytes). Richness, diversity and index of atmospheric purity were higher in the control zone compared to the urbanized zones. Community composition changed between the different zones, with increasing differences between the control and urban zones. The urban areas of the city of Ambato were identified with high levels of air pollution due to their lower diversity related to higher vehicular traffic and industrial activities (e.g., footwear and textile factories, tanneries). Thus, epiphytic cryptogams are a fast and low-cost method for air quality assessment in tropical areas.
... Se hizo una búsqueda de registros de hongos liquenizados en Colombia en distintas bases de datos y herbarios a nivel nacional (GBIF, SIB, COL, Univalle) y, además, se consultaron los registros de trabajos de grado y los artículos disponibles (Peláez, et al., 2013;Vargas-Mendoza, et al., 2014;Díaz-Escandón, et al., 2016;Feria & García, 2019). Posteriormente, los nombres se actualizaron en las bases de datos del Index Fungorum y Mycobank. ...
El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar la riqueza de los líquenes y las relaciones biogeográficas entre zonas de vida en Colombia, así como definir especies y géneros indicadores. Para ello se compiló información de distintos herbarios nacionales, bases de datos y publicaciones. Se usó la clasificación en zonas de vida de Colombia para definir las localidades de recolección de los líquenes. Se encontraron tres agrupaciones principales: regiones de bosque húmedo (Amazonía y Chocó), bosques secos y Orinoquía, y bosques andinos (premontano a páramo). Estas regiones formaron grupos en un gradiente que abarca desde zonas de vida de elevaciones bajas hasta el páramo. En cuanto a las relaciones fitogeográficas, fue posible establecer una mayor afinidad entre los bosques húmedos de las zonas de Amazonía y Chocó, ntre los bosques premontanos, montanos y páramos, y entre los bosques secos interandinos y del Caribe. Las regiones con mayor riqueza y especies de distribución restringida fueron la andina y las de bosque húmedo. La riqueza exhibió un patrón decreciente con la elevación y unimodal con la latitud, con mayores valores en las latitudes medias.
... The latter has since broadly promoted lichenology in the country through the Grupo Colombiano de Liquenología (GCOL; http://licbiologia.udistrital.edu. co:8080/grupo-colombiano-de-liquenologia), with a large number of thesis works at the undergraduate, master, and even doctoral level at various universities completed and in part published (Ardila-Ríos et al. 2015;Díaz-Escandón et al. 2015;Ramírez-Morán et al. 2016;Simijaca et al. 2018;Motta et al. 2019). Similar examples of benefitsharing for capacity building could be given for other lichenologists in Brazil (Cáceres et al. 2007;Kirika et al. 2017;Menezes et al. 2018), Mexico (Herrera-Campos et al. 1998, Costa Rica (Umaña & Sipman 2002;Chaves et al. 2004), Peru (Rivas Plata & Lumbsch 2011), Bolivia (Flakus & Printzen 2014), Kenya (Kirika et al. 2017(Kirika et al. , 2019, Sri Lanka (Weerakoon et al. 2012, Thailand (Boonpragob et al. 1998;Homchantara & Coppins 2002;Papong et al. 2009;Kraichak et al. 2015), among many others. ...
This paper discusses three issues that challenge contemporaneous taxonomy, with examples from the fields of mycology and lichenology, formulated as three questions: (1) What is the importance of taxonomy in contemporaneous and future science and society? (2) An increasing methodological gap in alpha taxonomy: challenge or opportunity? (3) The Nagoya Protocol: improvement or impediment to the science of taxonomy? The importance of taxonomy in society is illustrated using the example of popular field guides and digital media, a billion-dollar business, arguing that the desire to name species is an intrinsic feature of the cognitive component of nature connectedness of humans. While continuous societal support of a critical mass of taxonomists is necessary to catalogue all species on Earth, it is shown that this is a finite task, and a proposal is made how a remaining 10 million species can be catalogued within 40 years by 1,000 well-trained and dedicated taxonomists, with an investment of $4 billion, corresponding to 0.0001% of the annual global GDP or 0.005% of annual military expenditures. Notorious undercitation of actually used taxonomic resources and lack of coverage of impact metrics for monographs and other taxonomic work that cannot be published in indexed journals is discussed and suggestions are made how this problem can be remedied. An increasing methodological gap in approaches to taxonomy, between classic morphological and advanced genomic studies, affects in particular taxonomists in biodiversity-rich countries and amateurs, also regarding proper training to apply advanced methods and concepts. To counterbalance this problem, international collaborations bringing different expertise to the table and undertaking mutual capacitation are one successful remedy. Classic taxonomy still works for many groups and is a first approach to catalogue species and establish taxon hypotheses, but ultimately each taxonomic group needs to be studied with the array of methods proper to the group, including descriptive work. Finally, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Nagoya Protocol has put additional burden on basic biodiversity science. Using lichenology in Latin America and Brazil as an example, it is shown that the spirit of non-monetary benefit-sharing proper to taxonomy and systematics, namely capacitation, joint publications, and shared reference collections, has been increasingly implemented long before the CBD and the Nagoya Protocol, and does not need additional “policing”. Indeed, the Nagoya Protocol puts the heaviest burden on taxonomy and researchers cataloguing biodiversity, whereas for the intended target group, namely those seeking revenue gain from nature, the protocol may not actually work effectively. The notion of currently freely accessible digital sequence information (DSI) to become subject to the protocol, even after previous publication, is misguided and conflicts with the guidelines for ethical scientific conduct. Through its implementation of the Nagoya Protocol, Colombia has set a welcome precedence how to exempt taxonomic and systematic research from “access to genetic resources”, and hopefully other biodiversity-rich countries will follow this example.
... Sin embargo, para poder evaluar el estado de recuperación o conservación de un fragmento de bosque, utilizando líquenes como bioindicadores, se requiere del conocimiento previo de la diversidad presente en las comunidades de líquenes, el comportamiento de estos organismos en esos lugares y la historia de las zonas muestreadas frente a la perturbación (Rose 1992, Jentsch et al. 2002. Para regiones tropicales, existen pocos trabajos cuantitativos sobre la ecología de líquenes (Cornelissen & Ter Steege 1989, Coppins & Wolseley 2002, Boonpragob & Polyiam 2007, Holz & Gradstein 2005, Cáceres et al. 2007); sin embargo, varios se han enfocado en los Andes del Norte de Sudamérica y particularmente en Colombia (Sipman 1989, Wolf 1995, Nöske 2005, Soto-Medina et al. 2012, 2015, Moncada et al. 2014, Díaz-Escandón et al. 2016). ...
... De acuerdo con esos autores, "para la Región Natural Andina en Colombia, la familia Parmeliaceae (con 27 géneros y 237 especies) es una de las familias que más presenta riqueza", y en este estudio también fue la familia mejor representada. Dicha familia es una de las más representativas en términos de géneros y especies en el mundo, además muestra un rango amplio de hábitats y distribución geográfica (Crespo et al. 2010, Leavitt et al. 2015, Lücking et al. 2016. Los registros a nivel de géneros también concordaron con los expuestos para familias, ya que de acuerdo a Aguirre & Chaparro (2002) "los géneros mejor representados para Colombia, entre otros son Hypotrachyna, Parmotrema y probablemente Usnea, también son los más diversificados para la Región Natural Andina". ...
Se analizó la diversidad y la composición de las comunidades de líquenes en dos fragmentos, uno perturbado y otro conservado, de bosque altoandino en la Reserva Biológica “Encenillo”, Colombia. Se muestrearon 32 árboles de encenillo (Weinmannia tomentosa), 16 en cada fragmento, colocando sobre cada árbol tres submuestras en tres alturas, para un total de 32 muestras (árboles) y 96 submuestras. Los 714 registros de líquenes, 261 para el bosque perturbado y 453 para el bosque conservado, correspondieron a 54 especies, siendo los géneros Parmotrema (161 registros, 5 especies), Usnea (141 registros, 7 especies), Hypotrachyna (79 registros, 7 especies), Phyllopsora (63 registros, 2 especies) y Sticta (49 registros, 6 especies) los más representativos. Usando caracteres morfológicos, se asignaron las 54 especies a 37 biotipos facilmente reconocibles. Análisis de conglomerados y escala multidimensional no métrica de las 32 muestras (árboles) separaron los dos fragmentos por su composición de biotipos de líquenes. Mediante ánalisis de indicadores, usando los biotipos como unidades, se encontró que los biotipos “Yoshimuriella”, “Usnea (apotecios)”, “Usnea (pigmentado)”, “Parmotrema (soredios)”, “Lobariella (apotecios)”, “Sticta (verde)”, “Psiloparmelia” y “Hypotrachyna (soredios)” fueron estadísticamente indicativos para el bosque conservado, mientras que los biotipos “Hypotrachyna (isidios)”, “Usnea (penduloso)”, “Parmotrema (isidios)” y “Heterodermia (apotecios)” fueron representativos para el bosque perturbado. Como conclusión, un protocolo usando biotipos en vez de especies puede ser implementado por personas no especialistas para hacer monitoreo y evaluaciones rápidas del estado de conservación de bosques altoandinos.
Current knowledge about the Colombian funga results from countless expeditions, researchers, and national and foreign institutions that have contributed to the development of mycology in Colombia for more than two centuries. This historical timeline will probably remain incomplete because several historical accounts are difficult to track down, but four different periods are highlighted: 1. Fungal knowledge from pre-Hispanic times is still incomplete despite efforts to compile the biocultural heritage of ancestral knowledge of indigenous, root, and traditional farming populations; 2. The 19th century's study of the funga started with The Royal Botanical Expedition to New Granada and was followed by other important expeditions; 3. The 20th century was a period marked by expeditions of European naturalists, but Colombian mycologists also started to develop areas such as phytopathology and clinical mycology; 4. From the 1970s to today, the knowledge on Colombian funga has grown due to the contributions of foreign and national mycologists, with about 80 Colombian research groups studying fungi nowadays. In each of these periods, some notable events and influential figures left their mark on the historical memory of Colombian mycology.
RESUMEN
El conocimiento sobre la funga colombiana es el resultado de innumerables expediciones, investigadores e instituciones nacionales y extranjeras que por más de dos siglos han aportado a su desarrollo. En este capítulo se presenta un breve recuento de esta historia dividiéndola en cuatro períodos, mencionando hechos destacados y personajes influyentes que han dejado huella en la memoria histórica de la micología colombiana. En el primer periodo se reconoce la relación de las diferentes comunidades ancestrales colombianas con los hongos, vestigios que se pueden encontrar en piezas prehispánicas en el Museo del Oro de Bogotá y en publicaciones iconográficas. A pesar de los esfuerzos en la recopilación del patrimonio biocultural de conocimientos ancestrales de poblaciones indígenas, raizales y campesinas tradicionales, aún está lejos de completarse. El segundo período denominado siglo XIX, coincide con la participación de Francisco José de Caldas en la Real Expedición Botánica del Nuevo Reino de Granada, quien reporta el primer hongo para Colombia. Posteriormente Sir William Jackson Hooker describe varias especies de hongos y líquenes de las colecciones realizadas por Alexander von Humboldt y Aimé Jacques Alexandre Bonpland durante sus viajes por el país. Y finalmente, la edición del Prodromus Florae Novo-Granatensis de José Jerónimo Triana y Jules Émile Planchon (1863-1867), con las colaboraciones de Joseph-Henri Léveillé (Hongos) y William Nylander (Líquenes). El tercer período, del siglo XX hasta 1970, inicia con la Expedición de Otto Fuhrmann y Eugène Mayor conocida como la expedición Helvética, inspirando a micólogos como Carlos Chardón y Rafael Toro, quienes lideraron el primer inventario de hongos de Colombia. Posteriormente, el establecimiento de la carrera en ciencias agrícolas en la Universidad Nacional sede Medellín en 1927, contribuyó sustancialmente a la formación de micólogos y al conocimiento de los hongos fitopatógenos. Así mismo, la micología clínica tuvo su inicio con las investigaciones de Alfredo Correa y Alfonso Jaramillo; hacia los años sesenta aparece la primera micóloga médica Angela Restrepo-Moreno, creadora de una de las más importantes escuelas micológicas de América Latina, posteriormente, en Bogotá, la reconocida micóloga Elizabeth Castañeda ha liderado el estudio de los hongos que causan enfermedades. El cuarto período comprendido entre los 70s y la segunda década del siglo XXI, debería considerarse el periodo de iluminación micológica, pues no solamente fue el tiempo con mayores visitas de especialistas internacionales, sino también el despertar de la micología nacional en todas las áreas conocidas hoy. Especialistas en diversos grupos y líneas conformaron sus propias escuelas y han formado a las nuevas generaciones de investigadores. Reciente dos hechos han transformado la historia de la micología, ambos involucrando el trabajo en equipo como fuente de progreso. El primero de ellos, la conformación de grupos de investigación que ha fortalecido los procesos de investigación y formación de capital humano, CHAPTER 2 34 CATALOGUE OF FUNGI OF COLOMBIA además de generar un reconocimiento colectivo de las actividades de investigación a nivel nacional e internacional. Y Finalmente, en el 2019, la consolidación de la Asociación Colombiana de Micología (ASCOLMIC) que tiene como misión, además de conectar a todos aquellos que investigan en hongos en Colombia, generar resultados científicos que puedan integrarse a las políticas públicas nacionales, y conlleven a la inclusión de los hongos en las agendas nacionales a fin de orientar y gestionar la protección, manejo y uso de la funga del país.
This is a draft version of our book on Colombian lichens (in Spanish). It contains an extensive general part and a key to 311 genera occurring in Colombia, all fully illustrated with color photographs. The draft is currently in its final stage (references and scientific index are under construction). It would be great to have feedback prior to the final publication, which we expect later this year.
We tested the functionality of ITS-based DNA barcoding in lichen fungi using Colombian samples of the genus Usnea as an example. New ITS sequences were generated for 15 samples from five localities in two different ecoregions, representing varying morphologies and medullary chemistries. We employed five strategies to identify the samples: (1) BLASTn on the NCBI BLAST site with the original identifications of the best matching reference sequences; (2) as previous, but with revised identifications of the reference sequences based on a separately published revision of ITS sequences published for the genus; (3) local BLASTn in BioEdit using a separately published, revised and curated set of ITS reference sequences for the genus; (4) multiple alignment based phylogenetic analysis within the framework of all available ITS sequences for Usnea s.str.; and (5) integrative taxonomy, combining molecular phylogeny and comparative analysis of phenotype and chemical data. Using the latter approach as reference, we found that NCBI BLASTn with original identifications performed poorly, resulting in an identification success rate of only 7% (a single sample). NCBI BLASTn with revised identifications more than tripled identification success (23%), but was still unsatisfactory. Local BLASTn in BioEdit using the revised, curated reference data further doubled identification success (47%), but remained inadequate. Multiple alignment-based phylogenetic analysis achieved an identification success rate of 80% compared to the result from integrative taxonomy. Based on these results, we conclude that ITS-based DNA barcoding of the genus Usnea under the current circumstances performs poorly, but can be substantially improved using three strategies: (1) update identifications of reference sequences in primary repositories such as GenBank or alternatively use a curated reference data set; (2) perform local BLAST with a curated reference data set focusing on the target genus only, combined with multiple alignment-based phylogenetic analysis as a verification step; and (3) close substantial geographic and taxonomic gaps in the existing reference data. Our analyses suggest that if a near-complete reference data set with correct identifications existed for the genus, then standard BLAST approaches could achieve high levels of identification success close to 100%. As part of our DNA barcoding exercise, which generated the first 15 ITS sequences for Colombian samples of the genus Usnea, we confirm the presence of U. aranea and U. wasmuthii in Colombia and we report for the first time U. tenuicorticata for the country.
