The Fungus Among Us — Mycology at Panorama Park
Mycologist and UC Merced Ph.D. candidate Christopher Bivins has been surveying fungal biodiversity at Ben Hur for the last 2 years. This research aims to create a database of DNA sequences of all the fungi found on the Ben Hur nature preserve, which will serve as molecular "barcodes" for all of the different species of fungi growing within Panorama Park. This work will enhance future studies that utilize advanced DNA sequencing technologies to sequence all of the DNA from an environmental sample (also known as "eDNA"), e.g. a scoop of soil, a drop of water, or a piece of plant tissue. When fungal sequences are obtained from eDNA, scientists will then be able to directly match them to DNA barcodes from the local database. This will serve to greatly enhance the taxonomic accuracy of fungal community analyses in the Sierra Foothills region. Christopher is already utilizing this technology for other projects on the preserve, ranging from analyzing the fungal components of woodrat diets to understanding how gall-forming wasps influence the fungal communities inside oak leaves.
See more of Christopher Bivin’s mycological catalogue here.
New Species Found at Panorama Park?
Previously undescribed fungi species.
During his studies, Christopher Bivins has characterized a number of potential new fungi species. One such specimen (pictured to the right), will be tentatively named Helvella paeloris.