Species Diversity
Species diversity in the collection is considerable (see table below), but it still represents only 44% of named species. The collection also contains a number of undescribed (or at least unidentifiable) species. For researchers, the most important aspect of this statistic is that 92% of all the species used experimentally in the manuscripts we have tracked (6529 records) are represented in INVAM.
Efforts to formally name the undescribed species is not a priority for the collection except when it is used in a study that results in publishable data or involves fungal organisms with unique biological or ecological properties. During the past decade, several intrepid graduate students have visited the lab to work up descriptions on species in their studies. The number of species in any given genus listed below can fluctuate at a moments notice given the increasing frequency taxa are erected (whether justified or not).
Total numbers include all accessions, including species for which we no longer have living cultures.
| GENUS | DESCRIBED SPECIES | ACCESSED SPECIES | NO. ACCESSIONS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acaulospora | 39 | 22 | 189 |
| Ambispora | 8 | 2 | 19 |
| Archaeospora | 2 | 2 | 31 |
| Cetraspora | 5 | 1 | 18 |
| Claroideoglomus | 7 | 7 | 269 |
| Dentiscutata | 13 | 3 | 32 |
| Diversispora | 9 | 6 | 47 |
| Entrophospora | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Funneliformis | 9 | 3 | 91 |
| Gigaspora | 6 | 5 | 69 |
| Geosiphon1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Glomus2 | 81 | 34 | 46 |
| Pacispora3 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Racocetra | 13 | 6 | 13 |
| Redeckera | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Rhizophagus | 11 | 8 | 185 |
| Scutellospora | 11 | 2 | 31 |
| Septoglomus | 4 | 5 | 15 |
| TOTAL | 237 | 112 | 1112 |
1 A nonmycorrhizal fungus found only in the Spessart Mountains of Germany and cultured only in Schuessler’s lab.
2 Uncertain species and those once classified in Sclerocystis currently are placed in this taxon.
3 Only one species has been successfully cultured, and its status is not known.