Zotti Maurizio, Bonanomi Giuliano, Mazzoleni Stefano
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici NA, via Università 100, Naples, Italy University of Naples Federico II Portici Italy.
IMA Fungus. 2025 Feb 17;16:e138320. doi: 10.3897/imafungus.16.138320. eCollection 2025.
Fungal fairy rings (FFR) are fascinating natural phenomena that have intrigued people and scientists for centuries. These patterns, often represented by circular distributions of altered vegetation, are found in grasslands and forest habitats. Fairy rings occur when fungi grow radially in the soil, raising from a central point, progressively degrading organic matter and thus affecting vegetation. The observation of such spatial patterns allows mycologists to conduct an in-depth analysis of the role of fungi in ecosystems. This review presents the current knowledge and scientific advancement of the studies of FFRs. An historical appraisal from the most representative pioneer studies until recent works is presented in different scientific fields, including microbiology, chemistry, botany and ecology. Based on a deep analysis of bibliographic data, we synopsised different aspects of FFRs: i) history of studies, ii) taxonomy, iii) ecology (environmental conditions and biogeography), iv) classification of vegetation patterns, v) spatial dynamics, vi) role as ecosystem engineer (impact on soil chemistry, plants and microbiota). In conclusion, beside still open research areas requiring further investigation, a schematic functional model of fungal fairy rings is proposed, in which on one hand the dynamics of the fungal mycelium is explained by self-DNA accumulation and the build-up of autotoxicity. On the other hand, the effects of fungi on plants are related to the intermingled and differently spatially distributed effects of hydrophobicity, phytotoxicity and phytostimulation.
真菌圈是一种迷人的自然现象，数百年来一直吸引着人们和科学家。这些通常由植被变化的圆形分布所呈现的图案，出现在草原和森林栖息地。当真菌在土壤中呈放射状生长，从中心点向上生长，逐渐分解有机物从而影响植被时，就会形成真菌圈。对这种空间图案的观察使真菌学家能够深入分析真菌在生态系统中的作用。本综述介绍了真菌圈研究的当前知识和科学进展。从最具代表性的开创性研究到近期的研究成果，在微生物学、化学、植物学和生态学等不同科学领域进行了历史评估。基于对文献数据的深入分析，我们概述了真菌圈的不同方面：i）研究历史，ii）分类学，iii）生态学（环境条件和生物地理学），iv）植被图案分类，v）空间动态，vi）作为生态系统工程师的作用（对土壤化学、植物和微生物群的影响）。总之，除了仍需进一步研究的开放研究领域外，还提出了一个真菌圈的示意性功能模型，其中一方面真菌菌丝体的动态由自身DNA积累和自毒作用的积累来解释。另一方面，真菌对植物的影响与疏水性、植物毒性和植物刺激的相互交织且空间分布不同的影响有关。
