Bruno Tomio Goto

Currently, the fungal class Paraglomeromycetes (phylum Glomeromycota) consists of one order, Paraglomerales, with two families: Paraglomeraceae, comprising the genera Paraglomus with ten species and Innospora with one species, and the monogeneric and monospecific Pervetustaceae represented by Pervetustus with Pe. simplex. However, our morphological analyses of these species and an undescribed specimen morphologically resembling other Paraglomeromycetes species, as well as analyses of sequences of these fungi and environmental sequences, indicated that the current taxonomic composition of this class should be updated. We did so here by creating in Paraglomeromycetes Pervetustales ord. nov. with Pervetustus and Opikia catenata gen. nov. and sp. nov., as well as transferring Innospora with In. majewskii to Innosporaceae fam. nov. These novelties were introduced primarily based on strong genetic divergences of the analyzed taxa, as many morphological and histochemical features of their spores and mycorrhizal structures overlap. Only Op. catenata possesses the unique trait of occasionally producing spores in chains. This mode of sporulation has also not been recognized in any other Glomeromycota species. Unlike species of Pervetustales and Innosporaceae, which produce single-walled spores, the subcellular spore structure of Paraglomus species contains one or two walls.

Phenology plays a central role in regulating energy flow and nutrient cycling, yet remains insufficiently integrated into biodiversity–ecosystem functioning frameworks. This gap is especially relevant in strongly seasonal systems, where community‐wide synchrony in leaf litterfall may arise from either temporal niche differentiation among species or convergence toward shared drought‐avoidance strategies. Here, we examined how plant diversity components and abiotic conditions shape phenological strategies and, in turn, community‐level litterfall synchrony in a seasonally dry tropical forest. Using structural equation modelling, we assessed the direct and indirect effects of plant species richness and evenness and soil moisture and fertility on phenological traits (temporal niche overlap and dominance of deciduousness) and community litterfall synchrony. We identified two contrasting diversity‐associated pathways. Higher species richness reduced temporal niche overlap, consistent with phenological complementarity, whereas higher evenness increased the dominance of seasonally concentrated litterfall strategies, reflected in higher dominance of deciduousness. Only this convergence pathway significantly increased litterfall synchrony. Soil moisture reduced both species richness and evenness, and soil fertility increased richness, indicating that resource gradients influenced litterfall synchrony primarily through their effects on diversity structure rather than through direct effects on phenological traits. Together, these findings suggest that litterfall synchrony in this system is driven primarily by shifts in functional dominance associated with species evenness rather than by phenological niche differentiation.

Morphological studies, as well as comparisons and phylogenetic analyses of sequences of the 45S (= 18S-ITS-28S) nuc rDNA region and the largest subunit of the RNA polymerase II ( rpb 1) gene of two specimens, preliminarily named Isolate 527 and Isolate 530, showed that they are undescribed species in a newly proposed genus of the family Rhizoglomeraceae and in the genus Dominikia in Dominikiaceae (order Glomerales , phylum Glomeromycota ), respectively. Consequently, Isolate 527 was described as Durabilispora carpatica sp. nov . in Durabilispora gen. nov ., and Isolate 530 as Dominikia tatrensis sp. nov . Durabilispora was previously identified as an undescribed genus informally named “gen21” by other researchers. Both new species produced glomoid glomerospores in glomerocarps, which were extracted from trap cultures inoculated with mixtures of rhizosphere soils and root fragments of meadow plants from the Tatra Mountains, southern Poland. The morphological identity of Du. carpatica to the previously found Isolate 299, which was not provided with genetic data, indicated that Du. carpatica also inhabited dunes of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland.

This article presents the results of morphological studies, as well as comparisons and phylogenetic analyzes of sequences of four arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF, phylum Glomeromycota): Dominikia indica , Dominikia indica strain 211, Isolate 517, and Isolate 524. Dominikia indica strain 211 was previously characterized only by sequences of the 45S nuc rDNA region (= 18S, partial, ITS-1-5.8S-ITS2, 28S, partial) and the rpb1 gene (without any morphological data) that were deposited in GenBank under the incorrect name " Dominikia indica strain 211". Its 45S sequences differed from the original D. indica sequences and, consequently, resulted in erroneous phylogenetic classification of this species. Isolate 517 and Isolate 524 slightly differed in morphology from Macrodominikia compressa (formerly D. compressa ) and Microkamienskia perpusilla (formerly Kamienskia perpusilla ), respectively. Microkamienskia perpusilla was originally found in a maritime dune site of Italy in 2009 and not yet reported from any other habitat in the world. Our sequence comparisons and analyzes showed that D. indica represents a new genus, here created under the name Delicatispora gen. nov. with De. indica comb. nov. , and Dominikia indica strain 211 is a new species, described as Dominikia paraminuta sp. nov . These analyzes also indicated that Isolate 517 is conspecific to M. compressa and confirmed the correctness of the transfer of D. compressa by other AMF researchers to Macrodominikia gen. nov. with M. compressa comb. nov. Morphological studies of our M. compressa specimens grown in culture showed that the original description of this species is incomplete and, therefore, the description was emended. Phylogenetic analyses of Isolate 524 proved its conspecificity to Mk. perpusilla and thus revealed its second site of occurrence, i.e., the coastal dunes of the Hel Peninsula in northern Poland.

The paper presents the results of morphological studies, as well as comparisons and phylogenetic analyses of sequences of the 45S (= 18S-ITS-28S) nuc rDNA region and the rpb1 gene (when available) of four arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) of the phylum Glomeromycota. These fungi were (i) an informally named Isolate 449, suspected of being an undescribed species of the genus Diversispora , and (ii) three Corymbiglomus species in the family Diversisporaceae. The studies confirmed the novelty of Isolate 449 in Diversispora and showed that Corymbiglomus contains only C. corymbiforme , while C. globiferum and C. pacificum should be transferred to a separate genus sister to Corymbiglomus . Consequently, Isolate 449 was described as Diversispora conica sp. nov., C. globiferum and C. pacificum were placed in Paracorymbiglomus gen. nov., and renamed P. globiferum comb. nov. and P. pacificum comb. nov.

Diversisporales comprises species with worldwide distribution that produce glomoid, otosporoid, or tricisporoid spores. The recent reorganization of the order recognizes two families, Diversisporaceae and Corymbiglomeraceae, comprising one and five genera, respectively. Several Glomeromycota specimens collected in northern and southeastern Mexico and in French Polynesian atolls were characterized using both morphological and molecular analyses. Phylogenetic inference revealed that they represent new members of the Diversisporales, supporting the reorganization of the genus Redeckera into three independent lineages: Albocarpum gen. nov., with A. arenaceum sp. nov., A. leptohyphum sp. nov., and A. fulvum comb. nov., Pulvinocarpum pulvinatum gen. et comb. nov., and Redeckera , which retains five species, including R. varelae sp. nov. In addition, we described Melanocarpum mexicanum gen. et sp. nov. and Diversispora papillosa sp. nov. A broader phylogeny, based on eDNA ribosomal sequences and representative of Diversisporales species, including the newly described taxa, further supported the split of Redeckera and suggested three additional clades likely corresponding to a new family and two new genera, awaiting the discovery of representative morphospecies for formal description. Using eDNA sequences metadata, the occurrences of the newly described taxa were mapped, allowing the recognition of distribution patterns, mostly in the pantropical zone, distinguishing widespread and rare species, and suggesting possible endemisms. Finally, the coexistence of species forming large sporocarps ( A. fulvum and A. leptohyphum ) alongside species forming spores in loose aggregates ( A. arenaceum ) prompted us to propose a possible sporulation dimorphism hypothesis in Albocarpum , an argument previously raised to explain the nested placement of Corymbiglomus and Paracorymbiglomus within the Redeckera clade.

The paper presents the results of morphological studies, as well as comparisons andphylogenetic analyses of sequences of the 45S (= 18S-ITS-28S) nuc rDNA region andthe rpb1 gene (when available) of four arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) of the phylumGlomeromycota. These fungi were (i) an informally named isolate 449, suspected ofbeing an undescribed species of the genus Diversispora, and (ii) three Corymbiglomusspecies in the family Diversisporaceae. The studies confirmed the novelty of isolate449 in Diversispora and showed that Corymbiglomus contains only C. corymbiforme,while C. globiferum and C. pacificum should be transferred to a separate genus sisterto Corymbiglomus. Consequently, isolate 449 was described as Diversispora conicasp. nov., C. globiferum, and C. pacificum were placed in Paracorymbiglomus gen. nov.and renamed P. globiferum comb. nov. and P. pacificum comb. nov.

The family Archaeosporaceae (Archaeosporales), an early-diverging lineage of Glomeromycota, is currently represented by a single genus, Archaeospora , with seven species described. During the analysis of pot cultures established for the maintenance of Glomeromycota isolates, an unanticipated fungus emerged as a contaminant. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses revealed this fungus as a new species, forming an autonomous genus-level clade within Archaeosporaceae, herein proposed as Antiquispora disseminans gen. et sp. nov. Sequences for this species were obtained using the newly designed primer FULlongF in combination with FULR, both not Glomeromycota specific. Positive clones after transformation were then screened and selected using the Archaeosporaceae-specific reverse primer SpAll_Archaeo_R in combination with the vector sequencing primers. In addition, independent phylogenetic analysis using specimen-based sequences and eDNA supported the genus status of Archaeospora ecuadoriana and A. spainii , both with diagnostic morphological traits, leading to the establishment of the new genus Andinospora to accommodate Andinospora ecuadoriana comb. nov. and the genus status revalidation of Palaeospora with P. spainii . Archaeospora remains to include A. trappei , A. europaea , A. schenckii , while A. myriocarpa and A. undulata require additional analysis. Environmental sequences from the EUKARYOME database also showed that most of the genus-level clades described in Archaeosporaceae have worldwide distribution and are populated by several potential new species.