Francesco Venice presented a scientific discovery made within the context of the LIFE MycoRestore project at the Conference of Young Botanists (CYBO). The conference was held on February 6–7 at Genoa, Italy, gathering an approximate number of 110 participants, mostly PhD students and researchers.
During the implementation of the LIFE MycoRestore project, the fungal species Pycnoporellus fulgens has been observed in an unmanaged forest at the Biogenetic Nature Reserve of Vallombrosa, Italy. The presence of this rare polypore in this area, a demonstrative site of the project, has been confirmed for the first time. The samples of P. fulgens have been isolated and characterised. Further phylogenetic analysis will be conducted to clarify whether this isolate is related to samples from other environments.
This scientific finding represents a step towards the decrease of fungal diseases and the enhancement of resilience in Mediterranean forests, the aim of the LIFE MycoRestore project.