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Beyond flora and fauna: Why is it time to include fungi in global conservation goals

Beyond flora and fauna: Why is it time to include fungi in global conservation goals

 


It is no secret that the Earth’s biodiversity is in danger. According toInternational Union for Conservation of Nature26% of all mammals, 14% of birds and 41% of amphibians arecurrently threatened worldwidemainly due to human impacts such as climate change and development.

Other life forms are also under pressure, but they are more difficult to count and evaluate. Some scientists have warned aboutmass insect deathsalthough others saythe matter has not been proved. And then there are fungal microbes that often go unnoticed, with an appreciation rating2 million to 4 million species. Less than 150,000 mushrooms have received official scientific descriptions and classifications.

If you likebread, wine or soy sauceor have receivedpenicillin or immunosuppressive drugs, thanks to the mushrooms, which make all these products possible. In addition to oven tops and mushrooms, most mushrooms remain unattended and thrive hidden in the dark and damp. But scientists agree they arevaluable organisms that are worth protecting.

likemycologistswhose biodiversity work includesstudying the fungusinteracting withmillipedes, plants,mosquitoesANDreal defects, we have dedicated our careers to understanding the critical roles that fungi play. These relationships can be beneficial, harmful or neutral to the fungal partner organism. But it is no exaggeration to say that without the fungi that decompose dead matter and recycle its nutrients, life on Earth would be unknown.

Healthy ecosystems need mushrooms

The amazing biological kingdom of mushrooms includes everything frombracket fungus,moldANDyeasttomushroomsand more. fungusare not plants, although usually stored near fresh produce in grocery stores. In fact, they are more related to animals.

But mushrooms have some unique features that set them apart. They grow by flowering or by long tubes, often branched, like fibers. To reproduce, fungi are usually formedspore, a stage for proliferation and drowsiness. Instead of getting food into their body to eat, fungi release enzymes into their food to break it down and then absorb the sugars that are released. The kingdom of mushrooms is very diverse, so many mushrooms break down the mold.

Mushrooms play essential ecological roles worldwide. Some have formed critical partnerships with plant roots forhundreds of millions of years. Others perish deadplants and animalsand return essential nutrients to the soil so that other life forms can use them.

Fungi are among the few organisms that can degrade lignin, a key component of wood that gives plants their hardness. Without the fungus, our forests would be filled with large piles of wood waste.

Still other fungi form unique reciprocal partnerships with insects.Flavodon ambrosiusa white rot fungus, not only does it serve as the main source of nutrition for sureragweed beetles for mushroom cultivation, but also quickly surpasses other colonizing wood fungi, allowing these beetles to build large, multi-generational communities. Similarly,leaf-cutting antsupLeucoagaricus gongylophorusas food by collecting plant dead matter in their nests to feed their fungus mate.

A largely unknown kingdom

We can only partially appreciate the benefits that mushrooms offer, as scientists have a narrow and very incomplete picture of the mushroom kingdom. Imagine trying to assemble a 4 million piece puzzle with only 3% to 5% of the pieces. Mycologists try to formally describe the biodiversity of Earth’s fungi, while simultaneously assessing the conservation status of different species and tracking losses.

International Union for Conservation of NatureRed List of Threatened Speciescurrently includes 551 fungi, compared to 58,343 plants and 12,100 insects. About 60% of these mushroom species listed are yellow mushrooms or lichenified mushrooms, which represent a very close sampling of the mushroom kingdom.

Asked what a mushroom looks like, the average person would probably imagine a mushroom, which is partly correct. Mushrooms arefruit bodies, or reproductive structures, which produce only a few mushrooms. But most fungi do not produce fruit bodies that are visible to the eye, or at all, so these micro-fungi are largely overlooked.

Many people see mushrooms asscary or disgusting. Today, although positive interest in the fungus is growing, species that cause diseases such as citrid fungus inamphibiansand white nose syndrome inbats still get more attention than mushrooms playessential, useful rolesin the environment.

Protecting our mushroom future

Even with limited knowledge of the status of fungi, there is growing evidence thatclimate changethreatens them as much as it threatens plants, animals and other microbes. Pollution, drought, fire and other disturbances are all contributing to the loss of precious fungi.

This is not true only on earth. Recent studies ofaquatic fungiwhich play all sorts of important roles inrivers, lakesANDoceanshave raised concerns that little is being done to preserve them.

It’s hard to motivate people to care about something they do not know or do not understand. And it’s hard to create effective conservation programs for organisms that are mysterious even to scientists. But people who care about mushrooms are trying. In addition toIUCN Mushroom Conservation Committeewhich coordinates various global mushroom conservation initiativesnon-governmental organizationsand nonprofits protect the fungus.

Over the past two years, we have seen an increase in public interest in all fungal things, fromhome growth kits and cultivation coursestoincreasing enrollment in local mycological societies. Hopefully this new admission can benefit the fungi, their habitats and the people who study and care for them. One measure of success would be for people to ask not only if a mushroom is poisonous or edible, but also if it needs protection.

Delegations from most countries of the world will meet in China this fall for oneLarge conference on biodiversity protection. Their goal is to set international standards for the conservation of life on Earth for years to come. Mycologists want the plan to includemushrooms,yeast and mold.

Anyone who takes their curiosity out can use community science platforms, such asiNaturalist, to report their observations on the fungus and to learn more. Joining amycological clubis a great way to learn how tofind and harvest mushrooms responsiblywithout exceeding or damaging their habitats.

Mushrooms are forming important networks and partnerships around us in the environment, moving resources and information in all directions between land, water and other living things. For us, they illustrate the power of connection and cooperation valuable traits in this precarious phase of life on Earth.

This article byConversationis published under a Creative Commons license. Readoriginal article.

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2/ https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/05/17/fungi-climate-change-biodiversity-conservation

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