Dr Teresa Lebel

Senior Mycologist

email: teresa.lebel@rbg.vic.gov.au
ph.: ++61 (0)3 9252 2361

I admit it. I have a slightly skewed view of the world. On a walk in the bush, park or garden my focus is on a group of organisms that many people walk on, step over, kick, note only fleetingly as a patch of disturbed ground or determinedly try to eradicate. Fungi are everywhere we go. Their amazing diversity in form, size, colour, texture and substrate mean that I and many others will be happily fossicking around for a long time enjoying their beauty and trying to understand why they occur where they do and who they are related to.

• Taxonomy and systematics of truffle-like fungi and related macrofungi genera
• Investigations of community ecology of macrofungi in different vegetation types in Victoria and New South Wales
• Fungi in the diet of Australian mammals
• Investigations of introduced "weedy" mycorrhizal fungi eg. Amanita muscaria and Amanita phalloides (Death-Cap).
• Characterisation of macrofungal and ectomycorrhizal diversity in urban and natural habitats.
• Effects of disturbance on macrofungal diversity

Papers

Lebel, T. and Castellano, M.A. (1999). Australian truffle-like fungi. IX. History and current trends in the study of the taxonomy of sequestrate macrofungi from Australia and New Zealand. Australian Systematic Botany 12: 803-817.

Miller, S.L. and Lebel, T. (1999). Hypogeous fungi from the southeastern United States. II. The genus Zelleromyces. Mycotaxon 72: 15-25.

Lebel, T. and Trappe, J. M. (2000). Type studies of sequestrate Russulales. Part I. Generic type species. Mycologia 92 (6): 1188-1205.

Lebel, T. (2001). Native Truffles in Australia. The Victorian Naturalist 118: 38-43.
Bougher, N. and Lebel, T. 2001. Sequestrate (truffle-like) fungi of Australia and New Zealand. Australian Systematic Botany 14: 439-484.

Lebel, T. (2002). Sequestrate Russulales of New Zealand. Gymnomyces and Macowanites. New Zealand Journal of Botany 40: 489-509.

Lebel, T. (2002). A new species of Zelleromyces (Russulales) from Australia. Australasian Mycologist 21 (1): 4-8.

Bougher, N. L. and Lebel, T. (2002). Australasian sequestrate (truffle-like) fungi. XII. Amarrendia gen. nov.: an astipitate, sequestrate relative of Torrendia and Amanita (Amanitaceae) from Australia. Australian Systematic Botany 15: 513-525.

Lebel, T. and Castellano, M. A. (2002). Type studies of sequestrate Russulales. Part II. Species related to Russula from Australia and New Zealand. Mycologia 94: 327-354.

Smith, J.E., Molina, R., Huso, M.M.P., Luoma, D.L., McKay, D., Castellano, M.A., Lebel, T., and Valachovic, Y. (2002). Species richness, abundance, and composition of hypogeous and epigeous ectomycorrhizal fungal sporocarps in young, rotation-age, and old-growth stands of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) in the Cascade Range of Oregon, USA. Canadian Journal of Botany 80: 186-204.

Trappe, J.M, Lebel, T., and Castellano, M.A. (2002). Nomenclatural revisions in the sequestrate russuloid genera. Mycotaxon. 81: 195-214.

Lebel, T. (2003). Australian truffle-like fungi. XIII. Cystangium. Australian Systematic Botany 16(3): 371-400.

Lebel, T. (2003). Australian truffle-like fungi. XIV. Gymnomyces. Australian Systematic Botany 16(3): 401-426.

Lebel, T., Thompson, D.K., & Udovicic, F. (2004). Descriptions and affinities of a sequestrate fungus, Barcheria willisiana T.Lebel gen. et sp. nov. (Agaricales). Mycological Research 108: 206-213.

Jumpponen, A., Claridge, A.W.C., Trappe, J.M., Lebel, T., Claridge, DL. (2004). Ecological relationships among hypogeous fungi and trees: inferences from association analysis integrated with habitat modelling. Mycologia 96: 510-525.

 Education products

Forgotten flora project: 3 educational Cds (fungi, lichens, and bryophytes) and 10 posters.

Milne, J. and Lebel, T. (2004). Forgotten Flora.  Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Melbourne. ISBN 0975136240.

Theses

Bowie, F., Lebel, T., Handeside, K. (Hons. 2006). "Macrofungal diversity and mycophagy on French Island, Victoria." University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria.

Cox, E., Lebel, T. and Keane, P. (Hons. 2005).  "Macrofungal diversity of the Lang Lang Nature Reserve". Latrobe University, Bundoora, Victoria.

Dunk, CW., Lebel, T., and Keane, P. (Hons. 2002). "Weedy fungi- presence and persistence of Amanita muscaria in Nothofagus communities". Latrobe University, Bundoora, Victoria.

Dunk, CW., Lebel, T., and Keane, P. (PhD. 2004- ). "Ectomycorrhizae of Nothofagus communities in Victoria". Latrobe University, Bundoora, Victoria.

Gadzik, V. and Lebel, T (2000). "Light Microscopy as a tool: an examination of fungal structures". RMIT

Newbound, M., Lebel, T., Mcarthy, M., and Ladiges, P. (PhD. 2005- ). "Macrofungi diversity across an urban gradient". University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria.

Sicha, K., Lebel, T., and Keane, P. (Hons. 2003). "Macrofungi and Mycophagy in the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, with special reference to heathland and the Southern Brown Bandicoot (Isodon obesulus)". Latrobe University, Bundoora, Victoria.

Tonkin, J.E., Lebel, T., McClean, C. (PhD. 2001-2006). "Systematic studies of the Russulales". University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria.

Zdravevski, J., Lebel, T. and Keane, P. (Hons. 2000). "A taxonomic and biogeographic review of the hypogeous fungal genus Chamonixia in south-eastern Australia". Latrobe University, Bundoora, Victoria.