Nine new genera, 17 new species, nine new combinations, seven epitypes, three lectotypes, one neotype, and 14 interesting new host and / or geographical records are introduced in this study. New genera: Neobarrmaelia (based on Neobarrmaelia hyphaenes), Neobryochiton (based on Neobryochiton narthecii), Neocamarographium (based on Neocamarographium carpini), Nothocladosporium (based on Nothocladosporium syzygii), Nothopseudocercospora (based on Nothopseudocercospora dictamni), Paracamarographium (based on Paracamarographium koreanum), Pseudohormonema (based on Pseudohormonema sordidus), Quasiphoma (based on Quasiphoma hyphaenes), Rapidomyces (based on Rapidomyces narthecii). New species: Ascocorticium sorbicola (on leaves of Sorbus aucuparia, Belgium), Dactylaria retrophylli (on leaves of Retrophyllum rospigliosii, Colombia), Dactylellina miltoniae (on twigs of Miltonia clowesii, Colombia), Exophiala eucalyptigena (on dead leaves of Eucalyptus viminalis subsp. viminalis supporting Idolothrips spectrum, Australia), Idriellomyces syzygii (on leaves of Syzygium chordatum, South Africa), Microcera lichenicola (on Parmelia sulcata, Netherlands), Neobarrmaelia hyphaenes (on leaves of Hyphaene sp., South Africa), Neobryochiton narthecii (on dead leaves of Narthecium ossifragum, Netherlands), Niesslia pseudoexilis (on dead leaf of Quercus petraea, Serbia), Nothocladosporium syzygii (on leaves of Syzygium chordatum, South Africa), Nothotrimmatostroma corymbiae (on leaves of Corymbia henryi, South Africa), Phaeosphaeria hyphaenes (on leaves of Hyphaene sp., South Africa), Pseudohormonema sordidus (on a from human pacemaker, USA), Quasiphoma hyphaenes (on leaves of Hyphaene sp., South Africa), Rapidomyces narthecii (on dead leaves of Narthecium ossifragum, Netherlands), Reticulascus parahennebertii (on dead culm of Juncus inflexus, Netherlands), Scytalidium philadelphianum (from compressed air in a factory, USA). New combinations: Neobarrmaelia serenoae, Nothopseudocercospora dictamni, Dothiora viticola, Floricola sulcata, Neocamarographium carpini, Paracamarographium koreanum, Rhexocercosporidium bellocense, Russula lilacina. Epitypes: Elsinoe corni (on leaves of Cornus florida, USA), Leptopeltis litigiosa (on dead leaf fronds of Pteridium aquilinum, Netherlands), Nothopseudocercospora dictamni (on living leaves of Dictamnus albus, Russia), Ramularia arvensis (on leaves of Potentilla reptans, Netherlands), Rhexocercosporidium bellocense (on leaves of Verbascum sp., Germany), Rhopographus filicinus (on dead leaf fronds of Pteridium aquilinum, Netherlands), Septoria robiniae (on leaves of Robinia pseudoacacia, Belgium). Lectotypes: Leptopeltis litigiosa (on Pteridium aquilinum, France), Rhopographus filicinus (on dead leaf fronds of Pteridium aquilinum, Netherlands), Septoria robiniae (on leaves of Robinia pseudoacacia, Belgium). Neotype: Camarographium stephensii (on dead leaf fronds of Pteridium aquilinum, Netherlands).

Fungal consumption (mycophagy) by vertebrates has been reported for numerous species, but until this thesis, there has been no global synthesis of the topic. Through a combination of novel research and comprehensive literature reviews, I investigated the ecological implications of vertebrate mycophagy for fungal spore dispersers, fungal ecology, plant ecology, animal food choice and animal behaviour. This thesis demonstrates that vertebrate mycophagy directly impacts most terrestrial ecosystems and is especially relevant to many plants, animals and fungi. I have taken three different methodological approaches in this thesis.

First, I systematically reviewed mycophagy among all terrestrial vertebrate taxa. This extensive global literature review yielded three chapters (and manuscripts): one on mammals, another on reptiles and a third on birds (Chapters 2, 6 and 7, respectively). These reviews of approximately 1,500 references in more than five languages report mycophagy among nearly 600 mammals, reptiles and birds. (Despite an exhaustive search, I could find no evidence of amphibian mycophagy.) These reviews lay the groundwork for and are integral parts of my thesis.

Second, I directly studied vertebrate mycophagy through observations and/or faecal and stomach analyses (Chapter 3, 4, 5 and 8). I collected empirical dietary data through microanalysis of animal scats acquired by live-trapping animals or by examining stomach contents of preserved museum collections. I obtained observational feeding data by watching wild animals directly, or by deploying motion-activated camera traps that recorded the behaviours of mycophagists. These studies provided new dietary data for vertebrates and showcased the previously overlooked ecological services that they provide.

Third, I used a modelling approach to determine the dispersal potential of primary and secondary mycophagy (Chapter 5 and Supplementary Material). By using a combination of passage rate data and movement patterns gathered from animals fitted with GPS tracking devices, I was able to show that some animals have the potential to disperse mycorrhizal fungal spores more than 10 km from the point of ingestion (Chapter 5). This is the first application of modelling to mycophagy research and the first direct investigation of secondary spore dispersal.

This thesis presents novel concepts about mycophagy and an in-depth study of the ecological importance of associations between vertebrates and fungi around the world.

In this study, we examined the impacts of a bushfire on a community of myxomycetes (also known as plasmodial slime moulds or myxogastrids) in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. Using the moist chamber culture technique, we prepared 40 moist chamber cultures from four different substrates. We collected the same four types of substrates on either side of a fire line approximately six months post-fire in order to assess what impact fire had on the myxomycete communities. Sixty percent of moist chamber cultures yielded evidence (plasmodia or fruiting bodies) of myxomycetes representing eleven species in eight genera. But only 40% of samples from the burned site were positive for myxomycetes, and only one species produced fruiting bodies. In contrast, 80% of samples from the unburned site were positive, and all eleven species were recorded. These data suggest that fire reduced the abundance and diversity of the myxomycete community at our site.

Little is known about species of myxomycetes associated with vertebrate dung in Australia. In the present study, dung samples of 15 species of mammals (eight marsupials, three native rodents and four domestic or feral eutherians) and a large flightless bird (the southern cassowary, Casuarius casuarius) were collected and processed in 84 moist chamber cultures. Fifty-two percent of these cultures yielded evidence (fruiting bodies and/or plasmodia) of myxomycetes. Eleven species belonging to seven genera were recorded. Licea tenera was the most common species in the study (recorded from 12 moist chamber cultures) and is also a new record for the continent. Perichaena depressa, Didymium difforme and Cribraria violacea were the only other species appearing in at least three cultures. Samples of dung collected from small mammals did not yield any myxomycetes.