Ammonia fungi of Iriomote Island in the southern Ryukyus, Japan and a new ammonia fungus, Hebeloma luchuense

Saprobic and ectomycorrhizal ammonia fungi in the Southern Hemisphere

“…1993;May & Wood 1997;Suzuki et al 1998;Segedin & Pennycook 2001;Nagao et al 2003) is still much less than from the Northern Hemisphere (e.g., Lange 1935Lange -1940Smith 1938Smith , 1984Van Brummelen 1967Moser 1983;Pirozynski 1969;Sagara 1975Sagara , 1992Sagara , 1995Orton & Watling 1979;Fukiharu & Hongo 1995;Wang & Sagara 1997;Sagara et al 2000;Imamura 2001), in spite of our research applying urea in New Zealand and Australia (Sagara et al 1993;Suzuki et al 1998Suzuki et al ,2002b. This highlights the need for further study of ammonia fungi in the Southern Hemisphere in order to elucidate the role of the fungal community in each habitat as well as the biogeographic distribution of ammonia fungi globally.…”

“…The appearance of reproductive structures of ammonia fungi results either from mycelial growth that prefers or tolerates high concentrations of ammonium-N under alkaline to neutral conditions, and/or from spore germination that is stimulated by ammonium-N under these same conditions (Suzuki 1989;Suzuki et al 2002a). The nutritional modes of ammonia fungi can be divided into two types, saprobic and biotrophic (ectomycorrhizal), based on the observation of mycorrhiza formation of the fungal species in the field (Sagara 1975(Sagara , 1995Fukiharu & Hongo 1995;Sagara et al 2000) and measurement of cellulolytic and ligninolytic enzyme activities of the fungus (Enokibara et al 1993;Yamanaka 1995a;Soponsathien 1998a,b). In the field, the saprobic fungi occur earlier, and fruit for shorter periods, than ectomycorrhizal species (Sagara 1975(Sagara , 1976.…”

“…Examination of ammonia fungi following application of urea in the field and/or laboratory began with many studies in Japan (Sagara & Hamada 1965;Sagara 1975;Suzuki 1992;Fukiharu & Hongo 1995;Fukiharu & Horigome 1996;Fukiharu et al 1997a;Sato & Suzuki 1997;Suzuki & Toyokawa 1999;Shimabukuro 2000;Imamura 2001;Suzuki et al 2002a). Later studies have been undertaken in New Zealand, Europe, North America, Taiwan, and Australia (Sagara 1992;Sagara etal.…”

The Mycology as Forensics Tool

“…According to Carter and Tibbett [2], varieties of fungi that can potentially act as clandestine grave markers are known as ammonia and post-putrefaction fungi and can serve as a tool for the estimation of the post-burial interval as well. These early fungi can bear fruiting bodies from 1 to 10 months after soil fertilization with nitrogenous compounds and consist in the ascomycetes (anamorphs and teleomorphs) along with the saprotrophic basidiomycetes [10,11]. According to Sagara [10] and Fukiharu and Hongo [11] although their work dealt with forest soils D. cejpii, T. trachyspermus, T. flavus and T. udagawae, of the Ascomycota phylum, would correspond to early phase fungi: thus in our case, these structures were found 25 days after the individual's death.…”

“…These early fungi can bear fruiting bodies from 1 to 10 months after soil fertilization with nitrogenous compounds and consist in the ascomycetes (anamorphs and teleomorphs) along with the saprotrophic basidiomycetes [10,11]. According to Sagara [10] and Fukiharu and Hongo [11] although their work dealt with forest soils D. cejpii, T. trachyspermus, T. flavus and T. udagawae, of the Ascomycota phylum, would correspond to early phase fungi: thus in our case, these structures were found 25 days after the individual's death. The contribution of nitrogen compounds including amino acids from the proteins of the decomposing remains could have had a significant influence on the occurrence of these fungal species under the cadaver.…”