Global consortium for the classification of fungi and fungus-like taxa

Authors: HYDE, KEVIN - Mae Fah Luan University; AKULOV, OLEXANDER - Kharkiv Petro Vasylenko National Technical University Of Agriculture; ARMAND, A - Mae Fah Luan University; MANAWASINGHE, I - Zhongkai University; CHETHANA, KWT - Mae Fah Luan University; Castlebury, Lisa; Crouch, Jo Anne; KIRK, PAUL - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Submitted to: Mycosphere
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/7/2023
Publication Date: 12/12/2023
Citation: Hyde, K.D., Akulov, O.Y., Armand, A., Manawasinghe, I.S., Chethana, K., Castlebury, L.A., Crouch, J., Kirk, P. 2023. Global consortium for the classification of fungi and fungus-like taxa. Mycosphere. 14(1):1960–2012. https://doi.org/10.5943/mycosphere/14/1/23
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5943/mycosphere

Interpretive Summary: Classification systems for fungi have undergone many changes in recent years and have become confusing. The consortium described in the paper will publish a biannual update and review of the Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa which will act as an international scheme for other scientists to follow so that confusion is lessened. The yearly ongoing project will provide an outlet for advances in various topics of fungal classification, nomenclature and taxonomic concepts and lead to a natural classification scheme for the Fungi and fungus-like taxa. This will enhance the ability of scientists and other members of the scientific community to better understand the relationships of fungi among one another, which will enhance abilities to predict behavior, especially among pathogenic fungi.

Technical Abstract: The Global Consortium for the Classification of Fungi and fungus-like taxa is an international initiative by 500+ mycologists to develop a structure for the classification of these organisms. The members of the consortium originate from the majority of countries worldwide and include senior, mid-career and active younger mycologists and plant pathologists. The consortium will publish a biannual update of the Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa which will act as an international scheme for other scientists to follow. Notes on any new taxa above species level published each year will be prepared and published online in the Outlineoffungi webpage (https://www.outlineoffungi.org/), and these will be formally published in the annual Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa. Commentaries on timely important taxonomic opinions on controversial topics will be included in the annual outline. For example, what should be done with the problems in Fusarium?, are there too many Boletales genera? In the future, a confidential voting system will be set up to gauge the opinions of all mycologists in the Consortium on important topics. The results of such surveys will be presented to the International Commission of Fungal Taxonomy (ICFT) and Nomenclature Committee for Fungi (NCF) with opinions and percentages for and against. Criticism of nomenclature, classifications and taxonomic concepts will be encouraged; however, we will introduce a Code of Criticism of other’s work which will provide examples of how to provide objective arguments supporting varying ideas. Under no circumstances will personal or unprofessional comments on other works be tolerated by this professional consortium. The yearly ongoing project will provide an outlet for advances in various topics of fungal classification, nomenclature and taxonomic concepts and lead to a natural classification scheme for the Fungi and fungus-like taxa.