NZJB Call for Papers: Special Issue on Fungi and fungus-like taxa in China: Diversity and Ecology

Background

China's diverse topography and extensive climatic variation, ranging from tropical forests in the south to alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau and semi-arid regions in the north, have contributed to the development of one of the world's richest fungal biotas. Although numerous species have been documented across various regions, a substantial number of undiscovered species are likely to exist. Furthermore, many areas have not been systematically surveyed, so the actual extent of fungal species richness in China remains unknown.

Recent years have seen considerable progress. Molecular tools, including DNA barcoding, multi-locus phylogenetic analyses, and metagenomic approaches, have transformed our ability to detect and characterise fungal diversity. New species and new country or regional records are being described at a pace that would have been difficult to imagine two decades ago. At the same time, polyphasic approaches combining morphological and molecular evidence are helping to resolve longstanding taxonomic problems and refine classification at multiple levels.

Ecological research is also gaining momentum. The functional roles of ectomycorrhizal fungi, saprobes, endophytes, plant pathogens, and myxomycetes across China's diverse ecosystems are increasingly being examined, though systematic studies covering different vegetation types, elevational gradients, and geographic regions remain relatively scarce.

Scope

This special issue of the New Zealand Journal of Botany (NZJB) aims to bring together current work on the diversity, systematics, and ecology of true fungi, myxomycetes, and other fungus like taxa in China. We welcome original research articles and reviews across the following areas:

• Descriptions of new fungal species and new records, supported by morphological and molecular evidence
• Ecological studies of fungal communities and their interactions with other organisms
• Regional surveys and mycological inventories, provided these include substantive diversity analyses rather than species lists alone
• Studies on fungus-like taxa, including taxonomy, diversity, and ecological roles
• Studies related to the conservation and sustainable use of fungal resources

Papers reporting mycological inventories are expected to include an assessment of dominant families and genera, an analysis of geographical elements, and separate treatment of edible, medicinal, and toxic fungal taxa. All submissions should meet the illustration and data standards outlined below. If a submission does not meet these standards, it may be returned to the authors before peer review.

Manuscript Requirements

Taxonomic papers (new species and new records)

Plates (at least two required; three preferred):

• Habitat plate (required): in situ colour photographs showing the species in its natural setting, with clear depiction of habitat and vegetation context
• Microscopy plate (one of the two required, or both): photomicrographs clearly illustrating key diagnostic structures such as ascospores/basidiospores, asci/basidia, paraphyses, and cystidia
• Line-drawing plate (one of the two required, or both): hand-drawn or digital line figure:s with labelled diagnostic characters

Molecular data:

• Raw sequencing chromatograms must be provided for all newly generated sequences (.ab1 or .scf format)
• The sequence alignment matrix and tree files used in phylogenetic analyses must be supplied (.fasta or .nexus format, together with model parameters)
• All sequences must be deposited in GenBank prior to acceptance, and accession numbers must be included in the manuscript

Mycological inventories

Content requirements:

• The inventory must include a diversity analysis, covering at minimum the composition of dominant families and genera and an analysis of geographical elements
• Edible, medicinal, and toxic species must be identified and discussed separately

Plates:

• Colour plate (required): at least one plate illustrating no fewer than 20 species, with clear, true-colour photographs accurately reflecting morphological characters; new records are encouraged to be supported by dedicated morphological plates
• Habitat plate (required): representative photographs of the surveyed sites, showing vegetation background and growing conditions

Keywords

Edible and medicinal fungi, Fungal diversity, Fungal ecology, Fungal systematics, Fungal taxonomy, Fungi of China, Myxomycetes, New species

Submission Information

Guest Editors

Associate Professor Yupeng Ge (Lead Guest Editor)
Ludong University, Yantai, China
Research interests: Fungal taxonomy, Fungal diversity, Fungal systematics
Email: gaiyupeng@126.com 

Professor Saowaluck Tibpromma 
Qujing Normal University, Qujing, China
Research interests: Applications of fungi, Fungal taxonomy, Fungal diversity, Phylogeny
Email: saowaluckfai@gmail.com 

Dr Alvin Ming Chak Tang 
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Research interests: Fungal diversity, Plant pathology, Tree management
Email: alvintang@cuhk.edu.hk

About the journal

The New Zealand Journal of Botany is an international journal aiming to disseminate peer-reviewed scientific research in all areas of plant science. We welcome submissions relevant to all aspects of botany, mycology, and phycology of New Zealand and the southern hemisphere. Papers concerning general botanical principles and other species of the world likely to be of interest to a wide audience of plant scientists are also encouraged. The journal's subject matter encompasses biosystematics and biogeography, ecology, physiology, biochemistry, genetics, reproductive biology, structure and development, plant biotechnology, plant-animal interactions, forestry, taxonomy, ethnobotany, medicinal plants, palaeobotany, bryology, lichenology, mycology, plant pathology, and phycology.