Authors : Anil Kumar, Anjali Singh, Abhilasha Devi, Vikas Kumar Yadav, Akhilesh Kumar Dubey
DOI : 10.55248/gengpi.6.0925.3557
Volume : 6
Issue : 9
Year : 2025
Page No : 5063-5076
Soil fungi are one of the most prevalent and functionally significant categories of organisms in soil ecosystems, with between 2 and 3 million species found worldwide, only a small percentage of which have been formally documented. These include dangerous bacteria that can infect humans, animals, and plants, as well as collaboratively advantageous microbial populations such filamentous organisms and aerobic decomposers. Because of their many functions, soil fungus can be both advantageous ecosystem engineers and possible disease pathogens. They are necessary for the breakdown of organic matter, the production of humus, the cycling of nutrients, and the preservation of soil fertility. Through productive partnerships, they also aid in the production of carbon and oxygen and positively impact plant growth. However, the importance of environmental diseases in ecology and medicine is highlighted by the fact that they result in large losses in agriculture and that newly identified human illnesses are brought on by pathogenic bacteria that are common in soil. Recent advances in molecular phylogenetics, metagenomics, and next-generation sequencing have revolutionized the study of fungal diversity and pathogenicity, enabling the discovery of cryptic lineages and the restructuring of fungal taxonomy. Functional ecology approaches have shown that the interactions of fungal communities are intricate, resilient to environmental disturbances, and contribute to ecosystem services. Traditional taxonomy and molecular techniques have been used to highlight the ever-changing balance between beneficial and harmful soil fungi and to shed light on evolutionary relationships. This chapter summarizes the previously discussed taxonomic classification, ecological functions, diversity of functions, and pathogenic potential of soil fungus as well as their usefulness in agriculture, biotechnology, environmental management, and medical mycology. Currently discussed topics include the development of antifungal drug resistance, the impact of global warming on fungal populations, and the need for integrative approaches to understand their pathogenic and ecological components. This review bridges ecological, taxonomic and clinical perspectives to highlight the dual character of soil fungus as possible dangers to world nutritional well-being and as essential ecosystem regulators. Keywords: Molecular taxonomy, Functional ecology, Biodiversity, Mycorrhizae, Pathogenicity, Decomposition