Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre SAS
Topic
Species diversity, phylogeography and biogeographic barriers of ectomycorrhizal fungi of the genus Russula, subgenus Heterophyllidia
PhD. program
botany
Year of admission
2026
Name of the supervisor
Mgr. Miroslav Caboň, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Faculty of Natural Sciences Comenius University
Annotation
The genus Russula represents one of the most species-rich and ecologically important groups of ectomycorrhizal fungi, occurring across a wide range of habitats from boreal to tropical regions. The subgenus Heterophyllidia comprises several morphologically similar phylogenetic lineages with a complex evolutionary history and a poorly understood geographic distribution. Despite their wide distribution and ecological significance, patterns of species diversity, phylogeography, and the role of biogeographic barriers in this group remain largely unresolved.
The aim of this doctoral dissertation is to comprehensively investigate the species diversity of representatives of the subgenus Heterophyllidia, with a particular focus on European and North American taxa. The study will identify major historical and contemporary biogeographic barriers that have shaped their evolutionary and spatial structure. The research will be based on an integrated approach combining molecular phylogenetic analyses, phylogeographic methods, ecological data, and spatial analyses of species distributions. Special attention will be given to the role of geographic barriers such as mountain systems, climatic transitions, and historical refugia in shaping the diversity of this subgenus. The results will contribute to a better understanding of evolutionary processes, refinement of species concepts within the genus Russula, and broader insights into biogeographic patterns of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Furthermore, the study will provide important baseline data for the conservation of forest ecosystem biodiversity and for future macroecological and global evolutionary studies of the genus Russula.
The aim of this doctoral dissertation is to comprehensively investigate the species diversity of representatives of the subgenus Heterophyllidia, with a particular focus on European and North American taxa. The study will identify major historical and contemporary biogeographic barriers that have shaped their evolutionary and spatial structure. The research will be based on an integrated approach combining molecular phylogenetic analyses, phylogeographic methods, ecological data, and spatial analyses of species distributions. Special attention will be given to the role of geographic barriers such as mountain systems, climatic transitions, and historical refugia in shaping the diversity of this subgenus. The results will contribute to a better understanding of evolutionary processes, refinement of species concepts within the genus Russula, and broader insights into biogeographic patterns of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Furthermore, the study will provide important baseline data for the conservation of forest ecosystem biodiversity and for future macroecological and global evolutionary studies of the genus Russula.