New records of macrofungi species in Israel

Abstract

The Fungarium at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel-Aviv University, was founded 50 years ago by the late Prof. Nissan Binyamini. Over the last decade a group of amateur mycologists, led by Bruria Gal, have restored and digitized Binyamini's vast collection. They have performed fungi surveys throughout Israel to renew this collection and preserve new specimens for future research, which will also be available for molecular research. Twenty-two new records of macrofungi in Israel were acquired during these surveys. The role of citizen science is emphasized in enhancing ecological surveys, through the collective effort of non-professionals in gathering extensive data across diverse habitats.