Non-lichenized Antarctic fungi: transient visitors or members of a cryptic ecosystem?

To date over 1 000 non-lichenized fungal species have been recorded by collection or isolation from Antarctica, and additional taxa are now being identified by molecular studies. The number and variety of species recorded so far suggest that the fungi may be the most diverse biota in the Antarctic, and the additional taxa identified by molecular surveys suggest that the true diversity may be far greater than is currently estimated. Fungi occupy many different ecological niches in the Antarctic, and their significance in these niches is only poorly understood. The majority of species described from the region have been identified as members of broadly cosmopolitan groups, but there is some evidence for both endemic strains and populations. This review brings together the current broad systematic and ecological findings for the non-lichenized Antarctic fungi. ► A review of the current knowledge of fungal distribution in the Antarctic. ► Antarctic microbe-host associations are considered. ► Discussion of endemism vs introduction.