Jannual N, Nipitwattanaphon M, Hasin S, Kaewgrajang T. 2020. Morphological and molecular characterization of Termitomyces (Lyophyllaceae, Agaricales) in Thailand. Biodiversitas 21: 2481-2491. Termitomyces is considered to be a highly prized delicacy collected both for home consumption and for sale in local markets. Although the taxonomic information about this genus is well known in Africa, the identification of Termitomyces species in Thailand is unclear. Therefore, this study presented an assessment of phylogenetic relationships in the genus Termitomyces by means of sequencing of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region and the species characterization by combination of morphological data and molecular data. Total of 61 Termitomyces specimens was collected from a variety of geographical localities of Thailand. They were classified into six species, including T. clypeatus, T. cylindricus, T. fuliginosus, T. heimii, T. microcarpus, and T. striatus based on morphological characteristics combining with molecular characteristics. This is the first diagnostic key of Thai Termitomyces.

Kaewgrajang T, Yamato M, Polamart T, Sangwanit U. 2023. A comparison between the ectomycorrhizal fungal communities associated with the natural and plantation populations of Dipterocarpus alatus. Biodiversitas 24: 2088-2098. Dipterocarpus alatus Roxb. is a native tree species of Southeast Asian countries and one of the most economically important dipterocarp species. We investigated the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi associated with D. alatus using molecular identifications on putative fruiting bodies and ECM roots collected from three natural forests and 10 D. alatus plantations. In this investigation, we aimed to report the ECM fungal communities of D. alatus in natural forests and plantations. Combining the results of fruiting bodies and ECM roots, 82 taxa belonging to 12 families were identified as ECM fungi. The ECM fungal community comprised many rare species and a few frequently found species. The Sebacina genus was found the most frequently in natural forests and plantations. The ECM fungal diversity was higher in plantations compared to natural forests. However, the frequently occurring ECM fungal taxa were not different between the natural forests and plantations. The result suggests that ECM fungal communities could be maintained in D. alatus plantations even if a reduction occurs in the natural population of dipterocarp forest.

Cylindrocladium reteaudii (Bugnic.) Boesew. is a severe pathogen which can cause leaf blight disease in Eucalyptus seedlings in tropical countries. This study investigated the antifungal activity of essential oils extracted from Acorus calamus L. rhizomes in inhibiting the growth of C. reteaudii, both in in vitro and in vivo experiments. The extraction of essential oils from rhizomes was carried out by hydro-distillation technique and the in vitro antifungal testing was done by using the poisoned food technique. The results indicated that an essential oil concentration of 2,000 ppm can completely inhibit the fungal growth with a 50% inhibitory concentration value of 54.76 ppm. For the in vivo experiment, it was found that an essential oil concentration of 500 ppm and Captan^® of 1,000 ppm were not significantly different in inhibiting the growth of C. reteaudii. However, these two treatments significantly inhibited the fungal growth (p<0.05) when compared with the control treatments. Physiological and anatomical characteristics were investigated to check for the antifungal activity after the application of essential oils. Results showed that essential oil spraying had no effect on the leaf transpiration rate and temperature of the Eucalyptus seedlings, but the incident disease ratio was high when an essential oil concentration of more than 1,500 ppm was applied. Therefore, it can be inferred that the essential oils from A. calamus rhizomes at an optimum concentration can be an efficient antifungal compound with a potential to control leaf and shoot blight diseases in Eucalyptus seedlings in a nursery.

Khunkrai R, Suksavate W, Ngernsaengsaruay C, Nipitwattanaphon M, Sakolrak B, Phosri C, Nakpong L, Bunlerlerd K, Kaewgrajang T. 2025. Predicting the future distribution of Astraeus spp. in Thailand under climate change scenarios using MaxEnt modeling. Biodiversitas 26: 4662-4674. Climate change poses a significant threat to global biodiversity by altering species distributions, disrupting ecological interactions, and transforming habitat suitability. This study investigates the potential impact of climate change on three ectomycorrhizal fungi species from the genus Astraeus—A. asiaticus, A. odoratus, and A. sirindhorniae—which form critical symbiotic relationships with tree species, particularly members of the Dipterocarpaceae family. These fungi contribute to forest ecosystem health by enhancing nutrient and water uptake in host plants and have considerable economic and medicinal value due to their edibility and pharmacological properties. Species Distribution Models (SDMs) were constructed using MaxEnt to predict the current and future potential distribution of the three Astraeus species in Thailand under three climate change scenarios: SSP1-2.6 (low emissions), SSP2-4.5 (intermediate), and SSP5-8.5 (high), for two periods, 2021-2040 and 2041-2060. The models incorporated key environmental variables, including tree cover, precipitation during the wettest month, and temperature range. The MaxEnt models demonstrated acceptable predictive performance, with AUC values ranging from 0.686 to 0.799. The most influential predictors were precipitation during the wettest month (Bio13) and tree cover. The results indicated that A. asiaticus currently occupies high-suitability habitats predominantly in northern Thailand and would have a relatively stable distribution with localized fluctuations. In contrast, A. odoratus and A. sirindhorniae are projected to experience pronounced reductions in high-suitability areas. By 2041-2060, under SSP5-8.5, suitable habitats for A. odoratus and A. sirindhorniae are expected to decline by approximately 69.02% and 87.59%, respectively. These reductions are associated with shifts from high-moisture to low-moisture forest types driven by rising temperatures and reduced precipitation. These findings highlight the importance of adaptive conservation strategies, including protecting suitable habitats, restoring degraded forests, and integrating climate-resilient forest management practices.

Accurately estimating aboveground biomass (AGB) remains a challenge due to the limitations of various measurement methods. While destructive sampling provides precise results, it is costly, labor-intensive, and environmentally unsustainable. Advances in remote sensing technologies offer efficient alternatives for AGB estimation. Our study highlights that airborne laser scanning (ALS) is more effective in assessing forest structure than detailed biomass composition. Orthophoto analysis, while applicable for rapid assessments, tends to overestimate AGB and carbon stock, particularly in dense forests. Differences in tree height measurements between ALS, orthophoto extraction, and field methods emphasize the varying precision of remote sensing techniques. Integrating ALS and orthophotos may enhance accuracy by using orthophotos for tree crown identification and ALS for height measurements. This combined approach could reduce errors in biomass estimation, especially in dense forests where traditional methods are challenging. Our findings suggest that ALS is more suitable for large-scale biomass assessments, while orthophoto data may be more effective in open forests. Field calibration remains essential to improve accuracy, particularly for orthophotos, which are influenced by environmental factors such as light, shadow, and seasonal changes.