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

A fungus gall on eastern red cedar, produced by the rust fungus Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae. Matt Kasson, CC BY-ND^[14]

Healthy ecosystems need fungi

The amazing biological fungal kingdom includes everything from bracket fungi^[15], molds^[16] and yeasts^[17] to mushrooms^[18] and more. Fungi are not plants^[19], although they’re usually stocked near fresh produce in grocery stores. In fact, they’re more closely related to animals.

But fungi have some unique features that set them apart. They grow by budding or as long, often branching, threadlike tubes. To reproduce, fungi typically form spores^[20], a stage for spreading and dormancy. Rather than taking food into their bodies to eat, fungi release enzymes onto their food to break it down and then absorb sugars that are released. The fungal kingdom is very diverse, so many fungi break the mold.

Fungi play essential ecological roles worldwide. Some have been forming critical partnerships with plant roots for hundreds of millions of years^[21]. Others break down dead plants and animals^[22] and return key nutrients to the soil so other life forms can use them.

Fungi are among the few organisms that can degrade lignin, a main component of wood that gives plants their rigidity. Without fungi, our forests would be littered with huge piles of woody debris.

Still other fungi form unique mutualistic partnerships with insects. Flavodon ambrosius, a white rot decay fungus, not only serves as the primary source of nutrition for certain fungus-farming ambrosia beetles^[23], but it also quickly out-competes other wood-colonizing fungi, which allows these beetles to build large, multigenerational communities. Similarly, leaf-cutter ants^[24] raise Leucoagaricus gongylophorus as food by gathering dead plant matter in their nests to feed their fungus partner.

Leaf-cutter ants and fungi have a complex symbiotic relationship that has existed for millions of years.

A mostly unknown kingdom

We can only partially appreciate the benefits fungi provide, since scientists have a narrow and very incomplete view of the fungal kingdom. Imagine trying to assemble a 4-million-piece jigsaw puzzle with only 3% to 5% of the pieces. Mycologists struggle to formally describe Earth’s fungal biodiversity while simultaneously assessing various species’ conservation status and tracking losses.

The Bridgeoporus nobilissimus fungus, commonly known as noble polypore, is native to the Pacific Northwest, where it can reach sizes of up to 290 pounds (130 kilograms). It is listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Chael Thomas, CC BY-ND^[25]

The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species^[26] currently includes 551 fungi, compared to 58,343 plants and 12,100 insects. About 60% of these listed fungal species are gilled mushrooms or lichenized fungi, which represent a very narrow sampling of the fungal kingdom.

Asked what a fungus looks like, the average person will probably imagine a mushroom, which is partly correct. Mushrooms are “fruiting bodies,” or reproductive structures^[27], that only certain fungi produce. But a majority of fungi don’t produce fruiting bodies that are visible to the eye, or any at all, so these “microfungi” go largely overlooked.

Many people see fungi as frightening or disgusting^[28]. Today, although positive interest in fungi is growing, species that cause diseases – such as chytrid fungus in amphibians^[29] and white-nose syndrome in bats^[30] – still receive more attention than fungi playing essential, beneficial roles^[31] in the environment.

Protecting our fungal future

Even with limited knowledge about the status of fungi, there is increasing evidence that climate change^[32] threatens them as much as it threatens plants, animals and other microbes. Pollution, drought, fire and other disturbances all are contributing to losses of precious fungi.

This isn’t just true on land. Recent studies of aquatic fungi^[33], which play all kinds of important roles in rivers, lakes^[34] and oceans^[35], have raised concerns that little is being done to conserve them.

It is hard to motivate people to care about something they do not know about or understand. And it’s difficult to establish effective conservation programs for organisms that are mysterious even to scientists. But people who care about fungi are trying. In addition to the IUCN Fungal Conservation Committee^[36], which coordinates global fungal conservation initiatives, various nongovernment organizations^[37] and nonprofits advocate for fungi.

Over the past two years, we have seen a surge of public interest in all things fungal, from home grow kits and cultivation courses^[38] to increased enrollment in local mycological societies^[39]. We hope this newfound acceptance can benefit fungi, their habitats and people who study and steward them. One measure of success would be for people to ask not just whether a mushroom is poisonous or edible, but also whether it needs protection.

Australian naturalist Steve Axford photographs fungi in Australia’s rainforests, helping scientists document previously unknown species.

Delegations from most of the world’s countries will meet in China this fall for a major conference on protecting biodiversity^[40]. Their goal is to set international benchmarks for conserving life on Earth for years to come. Mycologists want the plan to include mushrooms^[41], yeasts and molds^[42].

Anyone who takes their curiosity outdoors can use community science platforms, such as iNaturalist^[43], to report their observations of fungi and learn more. Joining a mycology club^[44] is a great way to learn how to find and harvest fungi responsibly^[45], without overpicking or damaging their habitats.

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

Authors: Matt Kasson, Associate Professor of Mycology and Plant Pathology, West Virginia University

Read more https://theconversation.com/beyond-flora-and-fauna-why-its-time-to-include-fungi-in-global-conservation-goals-181226

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