Biologists seek justice for forgotten kingdom of fungi
Scientists push for protection for fungi at COP17 UN biodiversity summit
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Scientists → seek → summit
As world leaders meet at a UN summit to preserve the world's animals and plants, a group of scientists is pushing to protect another diverse kingdom of species they say is too often forgotten – fungi.
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they → meet → species
The fungi on Earth weigh six times more than the world's animals combined, and there are an estimated 5 million species, ranging from edible mushrooms to microscopic organisms that play essential roles in ecosystems.
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that → weigh → ecosystems
"Without fungi, the world as we know [it] wouldn't exist," says Chilean mycologist Giuliana Furci.
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Furci → know → it
Yet fungi traditionally haven't been included in efforts to protect plants and animals — something that struck her years ago.
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that → include → her
"When I realized they weren't incorporated into environmental legislation, the sense of injustice was so profound," recalled Furci.
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Furci → realize → injustice
Her response was to create the Fungi Foundation, which she believes is the first non-profit organization dedicated to conserving the world's fungi, in 2012.
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she → create → 2012
Since then, others have popped up — including Canada-based Mycosphaera — together forming the Global Fungal Conservation Network.
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others → pop → Network
On Wednesday, the coalition launched the Global Strategy for Fungal Conservation at the COP17 UN biodiversity conference in Yerevan, Armenia.
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coalition → launch → Yerevan
Jack-o'-lantern mushroom in Wolfville, N.S. (Submitted by Allison Walker)
The UN meeting is checking progress on the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a global agreement to protect 30 per cent of the world's land, inland waters and marine areas by 2030 and mobilize billions of dollars in annual funding for biodiversity.
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meeting → submit → biodiversity
While the agreement explicitly mentions the need to balance the health of people, animals, plants and ecosystems, fungi are not mentioned.
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fungi → mention → people
Furci said talking about flora and fauna without fungi is "obsolete," since they were recognized as a separate kingdom in 1969 — and they're key to the survival of many plants and animals.
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they → say → plants
"Fungi are organisms that play such a significant role in the environment ... that leaving them out gives us a completely incomplete picture of life on Earth and ecosystem functions, and how we can tackle the diverse crises that we're facing, from climate change to biodiversity loss," she said ahead of her travel to COP17.
Cortinarius magellanicus, found in South America and New Zealand.
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she → play → America
Many are nameless, uncounted
Allison Walker first noticed wild mushrooms of all shapes, sizes and colours as a small child camping with her family in Algonquin Park.
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Walker → notice → Park
"I would come up with names for them, like 'Donut Brothers' or 'Pancake King,'" she recalled.
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she → come → Brothers
Many fungi don't, in fact, have "real names," said Walker, now a biology professor at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., since fewer than five per cent have been formally described.
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cent → have → Wolfville
But the fungi scientists are tracking face threats just as plants and animals do.
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plants → track → threats
Last March, the IUCN Red List, which assesses and tracks extinction risk for species worldwide, had added 1,300 fungi, at least 411 of which were threatened with extinction.
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411 → assess → extinction
The number of fungi assessed is still just a tiny fraction of the 96,000 animals and 176,000 plants on the list.
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number → assess → list
Furci said fungi face many of the same threats as other organisms, including fungicides, fertilizers, habitat fragmentation, habitat loss and climate change.
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fungi → say → fungicides
"Nevertheless," she said, "we have never looked to tailor actions … to ensure their survival.
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we → say → survival
Furci says doing so wouldn't just benefit fungi themselves.
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doing → say → fungi
"Plants can't live outside of water without fungi on their roots," she said.
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she → live → roots
"Herbivores can't digest the plant they eat without the fungi in their stomachs.…
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they → digest → stomachs
We depend on fungi hugely for food, medicine, and many other things."
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We → depend → food
Witch's cauldron in northern B.C. (Cynthia Andal)
Fungi also play essential roles in decay and recycling nutrients.
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Fungi → play → nutrients
Walker said that because so many other organisms rely on fungi, understanding those relationships is often important for habitat restoration – and can help explain why some restoration projects fail.
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projects → say → restoration
In Canada, Walker said fungal species that may be at risk include witch's cauldron in northern B.C., which resembles a giant black puffball, and the pepper pot earthstar, a species that's been only found four times in southwestern Ontario.
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that → say → Ontario
"It looks like a little star, but also like a pepper shaker because it has these little holes in the middle to release spores … kind of charismatic and cute."
Hard to identify and count
Walker acknowledged there are challenges to protecting rare fungi.
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Walker → look → fungi
Not only do we not know what fungal species are out there, but they can also be very hard to count.
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they → know → ?
It's hard to say … what is actually rare versus just understudied."
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what → say → ?
Many species are microscopic, including those Walker studies in the roots of Spartina grasses that grow in salt marshes.
"
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that → include → marshes
Sometimes, you know, it requires a lot of hours at the microscope to tell apart different species."
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it → know → species
Allison Walker looks at microscopic fungi found in the roots of salt marsh grasses.
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Walker → look → grasses
The fungi contain proteins that aren't found in the grass itself and that stain blue.
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that → contain → grass
Many live underground, and even those that produce visible mushrooms above ground don't necessarily fruit every year.
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that → live → ground
Some may produce mushrooms only under specific conditions, such as after a wildfire.
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Some → produce → wildfire
The underground network of cells making up one genetic individual can also stretch many kilometres and produce mushrooms over a wide area, making it difficult to measure the actual abundance of a species.
"
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it → make → species
It's very different from counting animals and plants."
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It → count → animals
Initiatives at COP
Still, conservationists are trying.
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conservationists → try → COP
…and 10 more, not listed.
The Aporia
