Soil Microfungi of Israel, by P.A. Volz, I. A. Ellenskaya, I. Grishan, S. P. Wasser, E. Nevo. 2001. (Biodiversity of Cyanoprocaryotes, Algae and Fungi of Israel). 52 photo- graphic plates. 546 p. gr8vo. Hardcover. (ISBN 978-3-904144-76-6)

Fungal diversity is a major component of biodiversity and theremarkable interactions of fungi with biota in diverse habitats andextreme environments highlights the fact that the fungal theme must betaken note of and pursued with vigor. The present work is the result ofHaifa - Kiev collaboration aimed at providing a compendium of soil -microfungi of Israel. This book is a critical inventory of speciesdiversity of recent soil - microfungi of Israel found up to 2001, andincludes 130 genera, 447 species and infraspecific taxa. 148 speciesand 39 genera of soil micro-fungi are originally listed from the area.For each species the given information comprises synonyms, descriptions,references to relevant literature, distribution in Israel and in theworld; illustrations are provided for 182 species. A preliminaryanalysis of the Israeli soil mycobiota is givenincluding taxonomic and geographical distribution of micromycetes.-P.A.Volz is member of East Michigan Mycology Associates (Ann Arbor,Michigan,USA), I.A. Ellanskaya & I. Grishkan are members of N.K.Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kiev, Ukraine), and S.P. Wasser & E. Nevo are members of InternationalCenter for Cryptogamic Plants and Fungi, Institute of Evolution,University of Haifa (Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel).