Biogeography and host associations of Russula subsection Xerampelinae based on large-scale analysis of UNITE sequence data.

ABSTRACT: Estimating fungal geographic ranges and niche potential is limited by the ephemeral nature of fruiting bodies. While environmental DNA offers broader insights, species-level identification remains difficult due to uncertain sequence clustering thresholds, low interspecific variation in barcoding regions, and limited taxonomic resolution. To address this, we analyzed large-scale environmental sequence data to investigate biogeographic patterns and ectomycorrhizal host associations in Russula subsection Xerampelinae, a group widely distributed across boreal and arctic ecosystems. We used maximum likelihood phylogenetic methods to identify internal transcribed spacer sequences from the UNITE database for 13 previously defined Russula species. Additionally, we retrieved sequence-associated met

SUBMITTER: Noffsinger CR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12873505 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature