Credits
Primary data sources include the Southern Idaho Mycological Association (SIMA), the North American Mycological Association (NAMA), MycoMatch, Alpental, observations contributed through Mushroom Observer and iNaturalist, MycoPortal, and collections preserved in regional and national herbaria.
Special acknowledgment is extended to Robert Chehey and to the Southern Idaho Mycological Association for decades of field leadership and foundational contributions to Idaho’s mycological record; to Ed Barge, an extraordinarily prolific and resourceful collector whose deep understanding of fungal habitats has enriched this project in countless ways; to Stephen Russell and the Mycota Lab for their innovative work expanding the use of modern molecular tools and evolving species concepts throughout the Intermountain West, and to Danny Miller, whose ongoing Pacific Northwest mycological project continues to expand regional knowledge and provide an invaluable reference for field collectors, taxonomic study, and evolving species concepts.
Additional external resources, institutional collections, reference databases, and related projects that have informed and supported this work throughout its development are available through the Resources navigation page below.
Resources
Index Fungorum
Index Fungorum is one of the principal global nomenclatural references for fungi, providing current scientific names, authorship, publication details, synonymy, and taxonomic placement across the fungal kingdom. Within this project, it serves as a primary reference for verifying accepted names, tracing nomenclatural history, and aligning local species concepts with internationally recognized fungal taxonomy.
MycoBank Database
MycoBank is an international fungal nomenclatural repository that documents newly published fungal names, typifications, diagnoses, registration numbers, and associated taxonomic literature. Within this project, it serves as an essential reference for validating modern species concepts, reviewing original taxonomic descriptions, and connecting regional collections with formally published names and current systematic treatments.
iNaturalist
iNaturalist serves as a primary field documentation platform for this project, linking photographs, collection data, geographic coordinates, habitat observations, and associated DNA records within a publicly accessible and searchable framework. Field observations, voucher collections, and locally generated ITS sequences are progressively integrated there, providing an important bridge between field documentation, molecular data, and the evolving species concepts presented throughout this project
Developed by Stephen Russell through Mycota Lab, MycoMap serves as the primary molecular workflow and analytical platform for the DNA component of this project. Nanopore-generated ITS sequences, genotype interpretation, sequence organization, and the development of locally grounded species concepts are carried out within this framework, integrating regional collections with broader North American molecular datasets and contemporary fungal systematics.
Developed by Danny Miller, Danny’s DNA Discoveries is an influential Pacific Northwest mycological resource focused on DNA-supported species concepts, provisional taxa, and the interpretation of ITS sequence data within a field-based collecting context. Through the integration of photographs, collections, molecular evidence, and evolving taxonomic hypotheses, the project has helped bridge traditional field mycology with modern fungal systematics, while making molecular approaches more accessible to the broader mycological community.
Mycology Collections data Portal (Mycoportal )
MycoPortal is a collaborative online portal that provides access to digitized fungal specimen records from universities, museums, and public herbaria across North America. Within this project, it serves as a principal source for historical collections, specimen metadata, type material, collector records, and locality information, helping connect the documented fungal history of Intermountain Idaho with broader institutional holdings and published taxonomic work.
MycoMatch is a DNA-centered fungal identification platform that integrates ITS sequence matching, provisional species concepts, photographs, ecological notes, and curated taxonomic interpretations across a growing number of North American fungi. Within this project, it serves as an important resource for evaluating sequence-based identifications, comparing provisional taxa, and aligning locally documented genotypes with emerging DNA-supported species concepts.
Mushroom Observer
Mushroom Observer serves as an important taxonomic and collaborative identification platform for this project, linking field photographs, observational records, nomenclatural discussions, expert determinations, and historical collections within a publicly accessible and searchable framework. Project observations are progressively integrated there, providing an important bridge between field documentation, community expertise, and the evolving species concepts presented throughout this project.
The arid shrublands of Owyhee County.