Researchers discover new microscopic fungus species in Finland

A previously unknown microscopic fungus species has been identified in Finland during a state forest biodiversity survey, according to a report by Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

The newly discovered fungus, scientifically named Niesslia lobariae, grows on the surface of the rare lungwort lichen (Lobaria pulmonaria) and currently has no Finnish common name. It was found in 2023 during an inventory of state-owned multi-use forests managed by Finland’s state forest enterprise, Metsähallitus.

The survey aimed to assess the presence of threatened species in protected forest areas, including streamside groves, herb-rich forests, and steep-slope woodlands. Over 5,400 observations of endangered and old-growth forest species were recorded, along with 80 previously unknown occurrences of strictly protected species.

Tuomas Kallio, the project’s lead specialist in species conservation at Metsähallitus, described the results as exceeding expectations. “Some sites yielded dozens of species, and discovering multiple rare specimens was particularly encouraging,” Kallio stated in the agency’s press release.

Fieldwork was conducted at over 100 locations across Lapland, Kainuu, and southern Finland in 2023. While tens of thousands of hectares in state forests are excluded from logging, Kallio noted that their biodiversity remains poorly documented.

The fungus is characterised by its tiny, spherical spore-bearing structures, visible in images as small round formations on the lichen’s surface.