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Integrative taxonomic studies of macrofungal diversity in the Brijuni National Park (Istria County, Croatia) led to the discovery of a second species of Inocybe (Agaricales, Inocybaceae) new to science. Inocybe istriaca sp. nov. is described on the basis of morphological, ecological, and multigene phylogenetic analyses, and its placement within the family Inocybaceae is discussed. The combination of most important morphological characters that distinguish I. istriaca from the other similar Inocybe species are smooth, (sub)amygdaliform, (sub)phaseoliform, or ellipsoid basidiospores (ca. 8.5–12 × 5–7 μm), large basidia (36–45 × 9–15 μm), mostly (sub)fusiform and weakly thick-walled (up to 1.5 μm) metuloid pleurocystidia, and lamellar edge and stipe apex partially covered by a dark resinous substance. The species was collected on the edge of grassland and Mediterranean evergreen holm oak (Quercus ilex) forest. In this study, a total of 14 DNA sequences from four Inocybe species were generated. Two-gene (ITS, LSU) and four-gene (ITS, LSU, rpb2, tef1) phylogenetic analyses confirmed the status of I. istriaca as an independent species.

Seventeen collections of the genus Parasola from Croatia were studied with integrative taxonomic methods. Parasola papillatospora is described as a new species, based on morphology and multigene phylogenetic analyses. Its basidiomata were growing on soil in temperate deciduous forests (Quercus petraea, Fagus sylvatica, and Carpinus betulus) on two different localities in NW Croatia. Based on publicly available molecular data, the species is also recorded in Hungary. The most distinctive morphological features of the new species are the characteristics of its basidiospores, (1) the papillate apex and (2) central germ pore (both present in most spores), as well as (3) a highly variable shape. A morphological description of P. papillatospora is accompanied by colour photographs of basidiomata, basidiospores, and cystidia. In this study, a total of 64 DNA sequences from 17 specimens belonging to 10 Parasola species were newly generated. As a result of Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analyses of the concatenated ITS, LSU, tef-1α, and β-tub gene alignment of Parasola species, P. papillatospora was resolved as an independent clade, a sister to the clade comprising the P. plicatilis species complex. Eight Parasola species (P. auricoma, P. crataegi, P. cuniculorum, P. kuehneri, P. malakandensis, P. megasperma, P. nudiceps, P. plicatilis-similis) are reported for the first time for Croatia and P. malakandensis also for Europe. Colour photographs of basidiomata are provided for all Parasola species new to Croatia except P. kuehneri.

Extreme events have produced more rain and became more frequent in many regions around the world, and these trends will rise with the warming of the planet. The vulnerable agricultural sectors, directly dependent on the climate, is predicted to be significantly affected by climate change, with an expected decline in future crop yields. We provide data on the effects of floods, because of excessive rain, on the agricultural sector in Croatia, with emphasis on its northern Pannonian region. Data collected for the period 2015-2020 are based on a 34-question survey, conducted among farmers previously reporting on climate-related damages to their crops. With almost 80% of farmers having experienced flooding on their field plots in the last 5 years (mostly short-term flooding, i.e. waterlogging of up to seven days), it is clear that this type of investigation needs further attention. Data suggested that floods most often occurred in the plant germination phase (before the 5 th leaf) representing a risk for plant damage and consequent reduction in yields.A combination of mitigation and adaptation measures could minimize water retention in the fields and reduce damage, however, our survey implied that farmers scarcely use such measures. Knowledge gained in this study represents the first step toward understanding potential negative effects of the extreme events on the fragile agricultural sector in Croatia and could help authorities in decision making with the aim to reduce the degree of uncertainty associated with climate change effects.

Climate change has a significant impact on the agricultural sector, negatively affecting plants’ growth and development, with predicted strong consequences on food availability in the future. Although we are experiencing more frequent and intense heavy rainfall events, a major contributor to field flooding, there is still not much known about the impact of these events on different crops. In this study, we investigated the effects of waterlogging on a model plant white cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. alba), with the aim to follow its response to both single and recurrent short-term (72-h length) waterlogging, as well as to track difference in the sensitivity between plants in different growth stages (38- and 48-day-old plants). In our 22-day experiment, settled under fully controlled conditions (16 h day/8 h night, 25 °C day/20 °C night, 60–70% relative air humidity, 250 µmol m−2 s−1 photosynthetic active radiation), with the aim to more comprehensively recognize consequences of waterlogging on plants, we measured changes in plants on multiple levels: (i) within its morphological traits (number and length of leaves, leaf area, and blade width), (ii) within chlorophyll fluorescence and multispectral traits (20 parameters), (iii) following the levels of plant stress parameters (salicylic acid, abscisic acid, proline, and total polyphenols), and (iv) following changes in the plants’ elemental and mineral composition. According to our results, white cabbage was shown not to be very sensitive to waterlogging, with only plants exposed to repeated waterlogging showing signs of the congestion stress. These signs, observed in the changes of molecular stress parameters salicylic and abscisic acids, were not so clearly evident at the aboveground level. We did not observe changes in the plants’ morphologies, nor their photosynthetic performance. In addition, removal of waterlogging stress resulted in complete recovery of our model plants, suggesting a prompt adaptation response of white cabbage. With the projected increased frequency of occurrence of flooding events, it will become increasingly more important to recognize crops being highly sensitive to flooding with the aim to try to adapt to the changing climate.