The conservation of tropical habitats is of great current concern. This book is the first to addresses the challenge which the exceptional diversity of tropical fungi present to taxonomists, biochemists, molecular biologists, ecologists, conservationists and pathologists alike. The role of many tropical species and ectomycorrhizal associations in nutrient cycling in rainforests, desert ecosystems and aquatic habitats is considered, together with an evaluation of the potential of such fungi in the production of commercially useful, novel metabolites.