Field Guide to Mushrooms & Other Fungi of South Africa, by Gary B. Goldman and Marieka Gryzenhout.

Field Guide to Mushrooms & Other Fungi of South Africa, by Gary B. Goldman and Marieka Gryzenhout. Penguin Random House South Africa. Imprint: Struik Nature. Cape Town, South Africa 2019. ISBN 9781775846543 / ISBN 978-1-77584-654-3

Tonjock Rosemary Kinge's foreword to Field Guide to Mushrooms & Other Fungi of South Africa, by Gary B. Goldman and Marieka Gryzenhout.

Fungi are a diverse group, both biologically and morphologically. Estimates suggest that up to 3.8 million species occur on earth. They play an invaluable role in all ecosystems, living in a wide range of habitats as saprotrophs that decompose dead or decaying organic matter; as symbionts, which form close associations with other, often much larger, life forms; and as parasites, causing damage and disease in the host. More specifically, they are an important source of food for humans and a vital ingredient in processed foods, traditional and novel medicines, industrial fungal enzymes and compounds. They are also increasingly the subject of research into their psychoactive properties. On the other hand, as pathogens of plants, animals and humans, they can inflict serious harm. Africa is endowed with a high level of biodiversity. Yet, unlike most other life forms, fungi are almost never included in biodiversity data, nor do they feature in country-specific biological checklists or red lists of threatened species. Proper fungal inventories and databases are largely non-existent and those that are functional contain scant or inadequate information. While the omission of such data results in biodiversity assessments being inherently skewed, it also means that decision makers and the public are never made fully aware of the importance of these life forms. The problems that affect fungal diversity in Africa, including South Africa, are slash-and-burn agricultural practices, overgrazing, alien plant invasions, reforestation with non-native trees, poor land management, soil degradation and urban encroachment. Given the paucity of fungal data in biodiversity assessments, the impact of these destructive practices on the fungal kingdom remains unknown. The problems are worsened by a serious lack of human capacity in the field of mycology. Other factors that constrain our knowledge of fungi include the dearth of appropriate literature for different audiences, the large numbers of new taxonomic groups that are awaiting description, and the numerous regions and ecological niches that have not yet been explored. It is estimated that in South Africa alone more than 171,000 fungal species exist, a calculation that is based on the modest assumption that an average of seven fungal species is associated with each of the known plant species. So far, only 780 new species have been reported for the country. The identification of macrofungi is a difficult task in Africa - not only because of the small number of mycologists working in the field, but also because of the absence of truly comprehensive guides. This book intends to address that gap. The descriptions summarised in its pages - covering ecology, distribution, habitat, species features and edibility - are the result of the work of diligent mycologists and their collaborators. Supported by a myriad attractive, full-colour photographs, this handy field guide will greatly enhance our knowledge of fungal species richness in South Africa. Importantly, although this book represents a crucial and outstanding contribution to South African mycology, it will also benefit mycologists and citizen scientists throughout the world. We owe Gary Goldman and Marieka Gryzenhout an enormous debt of gratitude for their research and for producing Field Guide to Mushrooms & Other Fungi of South Africa, this useful guide on the fascinating world of fungi.

Tonjock Rosemary Kinge (PhD)
Senior Lecturer Department of Biological Sciences University of Bamenda, Cameroon

This is an excerpt from Field Guide to Mushrooms & Other Fungi of South Africa, by Gary B. Goldman and Marieka Gryzenhout.

Title: Field Guide to Mushrooms & Other Fungi of South Africa
Authors: Gary B. Goldman; Marieka Gryzenhout
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
Imprint: Struik Nature
Cape Town, South Africa 2019
ISBN 9781775846543 / ISBN 978-1-77584-654-3
Softcover, 15 x 21 cm, 360 pages, throughout colour photos