Macrofungal Diversity in the Proposed Taiwan Red Cypress Conservation Area: New Records and a Baseline for Conservation Assessment

Biodiversity preservation is a critical component of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in the face of accelerating climate change and its impacts on forest ecosystems. Macrofungi, particularly ectomycorrhizal species, play essential ecological roles in nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and maintaining forest health. This study surveyed macrofungal diversity from May to November 2025 in the proposed Taiwan Red Cypress Ecological Conservation Area. The sampling site was located near the Lulin Formosan Cypress, along the Alishan Road. This area is a natural high-elevation forest dominated by Chamaecyparis formosensis, Quercus tatakaensis, Pasania kawakamii, Prunus campanulata, and Phellodendron amurense var. wilsonii. Fungal identification was based on morphological characteristics and molecular analyses, including sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) regions. For selected taxa, additional gene loci such as rpb2 and tef1-α were sequenced to perform multi-locus phylogenetic analysis. In total, 100 fungal taxa were identified, comprising 22 Ascomycetes and 78 Basidiomycetes. Among these, 94 macrofungal species were newly recorded for the conservation area, and 8 were new records for Taiwan, indicating high fungal diversity and ecological significance. Many of the recorded taxa are ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with dominant tree species in the area. The results provide valuable baseline data for understanding the responses of fungal communities to environmental changes and support long-term monitoring and conservation planning in high-elevation Taiwanese forests.