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The (re)discovery of ectomycorrhizal symbioses in Neotropical ecosystems sketched in Florian opolis VIII th Brazilian Mycological Congress, held in Florian opolis, Brazil, October 2016The VIII th Brazilian Mycological Congress, held in Florian opolis (Brazil) in October 2016, was organized by the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina and brought together more than 1000 scientists of 20 nationalities, which illustrates the dynamism of South American mycology, in many fields. One of the major takehome messages, amongst many research talks and posters, was the rising interest in the ectomycorrhizal (EM) symbiosis, which was addressed by both a symposium and a 3-day workshop 'To the roots of trees: growing awareness of ectomycorrhizal symbioses in the Neotropics'. Talks on this symbiosis were given by taxonomists and ecologists, and focused on the Neotropics, the tropical realm that extends from the central plateau of Mexico and which includes South America. The inventories of ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF), observations of EM roots, and metabarcoding studies presented revealed a hitherto unsuspected abundance of the EM symbiosis to all participants, including a number of South-American students. This meeting provided great opportunities to share points of view on the historical reasons behind gaps in knowledge on EMF associations in neotropical low-elevation areas. The meeting also highlighted recent discoveries and forthcoming challenges, based on three complementary approaches: studies on fruitbodies, EM roots, and the metabarcoding of soil samples.

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