In Mexico there are around 20,000 species of mushrooms, mostly found in states with temperate forest ecosystems. However, mushrooms are also found in deserts or places with very low temperatures, said Cristina Burrola Aguilar, the coordinator of the Biotic Resources Research and Advanced Study Center in the Sciences Department of the National Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEM). She said that despite its importance, there are few studies on the mushroom taxonomy.
She announced that the 27th Mushroom Expo and the 8th Biodiversity Expo will take place from August 25th to 27th, in the Botanical Garden in Toluca, State of Mexico. The university said that just in the State of Mexico there are 700 mushroom species, of which 250 are edible.
Each year, students in the Science Department take a Microbiology course, in which they collect diverse species in the Toluca mountains, to put on display in the expo.
Burrola Aguilar explained that this exercise puts into practice students’ knowledge about the biology, ecology and the diversity of mushrooms in the region. The expo allows them to share this knowledge with the broader community. Visitors to the expo learn about the importance of mushrooms in ecosystems, their uses and their cultural importance in the region.
At the Biodiversity Expo UAEM researchers will present information on groups of invertebrates, including insects and amoebas, using models. There will also be a display on medicinal plants, alternative uses for plants and a cooking demonstration.
Burrola Aguilar said that the Mushrooms Expo has been going on for 27 years, but that each year the mushrooms on display are different because of seasonal changes.
