Journal Article

What Do the First 597 Global Fungal Red List Assessments Tell Us about the Threat Status of Fungi?

Saar, Irja, Dahlberg, Anders, Ainsworth, Antony Martyn, Lendemer, James, McMullin, Richard Troy, Iršėnaitė, Reda, Kosmann, Thiago, May, Tom W., Yahr, Rebecca, Gonçalves, Susana C., Ohmura, Yoshihito, Jordal, John Bjarne, Costa-Rezende, Diogo Henrique, Næsborg, Rikke Reese, Vasco-Palacios, Aída M., Westrip, James R. S., Chandler, Amanda, Simijaca, Diego, Alves-Silva, Genivaldo, Bungartz, Frank, Cunha, Kelmer Martins, Canteiro, Cátia, Krisai-Greilhuber, Irmgard, Perini, Claudia, Mueller, Gregory M., Mešić, Armin, Motato-Vásquez, Viviana, Allen, Jessica L., Drechsler-Santos, Elisandro Ricardo

2022

Overview

Fungal species are not immune to the threats facing animals and plants and are thus also prone to extinction. Yet, until 2015, fungi were nearly absent on the IUCN Red List. Recent efforts to identify fungal species under threat have significantly increased the number of published fungal assessments. The 597 species of fungi published in the 2022-1 IUCN Red List update (21 July 2022) are the basis for the first global review of the extinction risk of fungi and the threats they face. Nearly 50% of the assessed species are threatened, with 10% NT and 9% DD. For regions with a larger number of assessments (i.e., Europe, North America, and South America), subanalyses are provided. Data for lichenized and nonlichenized fungi are also summarized separately. Habitat loss/degradation followed by climate change, invasive species, and pollution are the primary identified threats. Bias in the data is discussed along with knowledge gaps. Suggested actions to address these gaps are provided along with a discussion of the use of assessments to facilitate on-the-ground conservation efforts. A research agenda for conservation mycology to assist in the assessment process and implementation of effective species/habitat management is presented.

• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Subject: 106024 Mycology / 106024 Mykologie / Ascomycota / Assessments / Basidiomycota / Biodiversity / BIODIVERSITY LOSS / Biology / Biology (General) / Climate change / Climatic changes / CONSERVATION / conservation ; threats ; Basidiomycota ; Ascomycota ; lichens ; funga ; IUCN ; extinction risk / Distribution / Ecology / Ekologi / Endangered & extinct species / Endangered species / Environmental aspects / Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use / Europe / Extinction / Extinction (Biology) / extinction risk / Forecasts and trends / funga / Fungi / habitat conservation / habitat destruction / Habitat loss / Habitats / Interdisciplinary Natural Sciences / Introduced species / Invasive species / IUCN / lichen / lichens / Methods / Miljö- och naturvårdsvetenskap / Mutualism / Mycology / Nature conservation / North America / Parasites / PLANTS / pollution / Population / Protection and preservation / QH301-705.5 / risk / South America / Species extinction / Taxonomy / threat / Threatened species / Threats / Trends / Wildlife conservation / Workshops