Classical Methods and Modern Analysis for Studying Fungal Diversity

In this chapter, we examine the use of classical methods to study fungal diversity. Classical methods rely on the direct observation of fungi, rather than sampling fungal DNA. We summarize a wide variety of classical methods, including direct sampling of fungal fruiting bodies, incubation of substrata in moist chambers, culturing of endophytes, and particle plating. We also cite and discuss study designs for documenting diversity and monitoring species, and analytical methods that have been used for data produced using classical methods. Selected examples of such mycological studies are cited so they may serve as models for future research. The advantages and disadvantages of using classical methods and how these differ from molecular methods are discussed first. Next, we discuss differences in study goals