Learn about the Mushrooms and Fungi in the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador.
The Fungi or Mushrooms are a phylogenetically diverse group of microorganisms that are all heterotrophic
(absorptive nutrition) eukaryotes, unicellular (i.e. yeasts) or hyphal (i.e. filamentous),
and reproduce by sexual and/or asexual spores.
The Mushrooms and Fungi from the Amazon Rainforest are essential functional components of the Amazonian ecosystem as decomposers, symbionts, and pathogens and fungi represent one of the most biodiverse groups of organisms on earth.
However, our knowledge of their diversity and ecological function in Neotropical Amazonian Lowland forests is limited.
The ecological interaction of macrofungi with other organisms in these forests is poorly understood due to the largely unexplored, but likely huge, fungal diversity, as well as the cryptic and ephemeral nature of many fungal species.
Where is located the Fungal Hub Diversity in the World?
A major part of the global but unknown fungal biodiversity is assumed to occur in Tropical Regions, where the diversity of fungi may be higher than in temperate regions.
- Tropical Regions favor environmental conditions throughout the year, a higher diversity of vascular plants that create niches and microhabitats for fungi, and the presence of many ecotones.
- The diversity of macrofungi in tropical forests showed that the highest diversity in the Neotropics occurred in the Amazon Basin with Agaricomycetes, Pyrenomycetes, Xylariaceous, and Hyphomycetous fungi being most species-rich.
The Amazon Rainforest is Heaven for Mushrooms
The Amazon Basin is the perfect location if you would like to become a Fungi, the constant humidity combine with heat is the perfect combination for fungi to diversity in the Amazon Basin.
Mushrooms and Fungi from the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. All taken at Shiripuno Amazon Lodge in the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve.
The Mushrooms and Fungi in the Amazon Rainforest plays an important role in the ecology of this huge wilderness, these organisms do a critical job of decomposing all kinds of materials from the forest itself.
Mushrooms and Fungi from the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. All taken at Shiripuno Amazon Lodge in the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve.
Everything is a resource in the forest, follow this: From an old and finished canopy leaf falling to the ground where the community of mushroom, fungi, and many invertebrates specialized in turning useful everything to the basic elements of nature: Carbon, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, and Oxygen.
Mushrooms and Fungi from the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. All taken at Shiripuno Amazon Lodge in the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve.
A tiny portion of the colors and shapes of the diversity of Mushrooms and Fungi of the Amazon Rainforest can be found during a short walk in the trails nearby.
Move slowly, fix your looks in the ground, along the trunk, the nearby light gap can be very rewarding, some mushrooms and fungi are still in use by indigenous people to treat, diseases or food in some cases.
Mushrooms and Fungi from the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. All taken at Shiripuno Amazon Lodge in the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve.
The diversity of Mushrooms and Fungi from the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador captured in photos after a short walk around the trails of Shiripuno Amazon Lodge. Enjoy it.
Where to find them?
You can find almost everywhere in the forest, here some locations within:
Light Gaps
Light Gaps in the forest form predominantly when trees fall by wind and storms. After a few months, we can find a whole series of fungi over time.
Rotting Trees
Rotting Giant Trees can be a perfect place to watch a timelapse of the different fungi community coming with different fruiting over and over.
The soil in Terra Firme
The Soil in the Terra Firme habitat is poor by nature in terms of nutrients for life, specialization is the key for those species living in here, many unique Jelly Fungi can be found around
Soil in Varzea
The Soil in the Varzea is a sediment-rich habitat, species of fungi needs to be faster decomposing all the flooded community.
Territories
The are many species of Mushrooms and Fungi with territories with more than 10 years!
Have fun finding them in the forest.
The Mushrooms and Fungi from the Rainforest
The true fungi (kingdom: Mycota) are divided into four divisions:
Chytridiomycota,
Zygomycota,
Ascomycota
Basidiomycota
ASCOMYCOTA: CUP FUNGI
The family of fungi Ascomycota produces mushrooms that tend to grow in the shape of a “cup”. Spores are formed on the inner surface of the fruit body (mushroom)
Cookenia tricholoma
Cookenia speciosa
Phillipsia domingensi
Daldinia eschscholzii
Entonaema pallida
ASCOMYCOTA: CORDYCEPS & ALLIES
-discovered by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1859.
Cordyceps cylindrica
Metacordyceps martialis
Ophiocordyceps amazonica
Ophiocordyceps nutans
Ophiocordyceps australis
ASCOMYCOTA: XYLARIA & ALLIES
Camillea leprieurii
Xylobotryum portentous
Xylaria telfairii
Xylaria sp
Thamnomyces chordallis
Basidiomycetes mushrooms comprise a diversity of gill fungi that occur in most terrestrial ecosystems worldwide, their diversity and biological applications in tropical ecosystems remain almost unknown.
Some Basidiomycetes species from amazon tropical rainforests have been described as sources of primary and secondary bioactive compounds with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antiparasitic, and antitumoral metabolites and as nutraceutical foods.
In addition, some Basidiomycetes have demonstrated potential as producers of interesting prototype molecules for the development of drugs useful in medicine.
BASIDIOMYCOTA: JELLY FUNGI, GASTEROMYCETES, CORAL
Auricularia fuscosuccinea
Auricularia delicata
Dacryopinax spathularia
Tremella fuciformis
Tremellodendron schweinitzii
BASIDIOMYCOTA: GASTEROMYCETES
Laternea dringii
Phallus sp.
Staheliomyces cintus
Clathrus sp
Geastrum schweinitzii
Myriostoma coliforme
Lycoperdon nigrescens
Calvatia cyathiformis
BASIDIOMYCOTA: CORAL
Ramaria sp.
Scytinopogon angulisporus
Deflexula sprucei
Deflexula subsimplex
Phlebopus sp
MYXOGASTRIA: SLIME MOLDS
Arcyria denudata
Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa
BASIDIOMYCOTA: NON-AGARIC
Cymatoderma dendriticum
Cymatoderma dendriticum
Hydnopolyporus sp.
Cotylidia aurantiaca
Hymenochaete damaecornis
BASIDIOMYCOTA: AGARICALES – GILLED MUSHROOMS
Pleurotus djamor
Neonothopanus sp
Oudemansiella canari
Macrolepiota colombiana
Lepiota hemisclera
Leucocoprinus birnbaumii
Marasmius haematocephalus
Marasmius berteroi
Marasmius cladophyllus
Marasmiellus volvatus
Marasmiellus sp
Tetrapyrgos nigripes
Collybia nivea
Collybia aurea
Hygrocybe sp
Xeromphalina tenuipes
Trogia cantharelloides
Favoloschia sp
Schizophyllum commune
Psilocybe cubensis
Coprinellus disseminatus
Agaricus sp
Vovariella sp
Polyporus trichloma
Favolus tenuiculus
Lentinus concavus
Lentinus strigosus
Earliella scabrosa
Pycnoporus sanguineus
Lenzites elegans
Amauroderma sprucei
Ganoderma applanatum
Rigidoporus microporus
Common Mushroom and Fungi
Cookeina
Cookeina is a genus of cup fungi in the family Sarcoscyphaceae, members of which may be found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Species may be found on fallen branches of angiosperms, trunks, and sometimes on fruits. (Source: Wikipedia )
Coprinellus
Coprinellus is a genus of mushroom-forming fungi in the family Psathyrellaceae. Accepted 62 species of Coprinellus.
Mushrooms and Fungi from the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve.
Come and Enjoy the Diversity of Mushrooms and Fungi on Our trip to Ecuador.