Biologists seek justice for forgotten kingdom of fungi

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.

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.

"Without fungi, the world as we know [it] wouldn't exist," says Chilean mycologist Giuliana Furci.

Yet fungi traditionally haven't been included in efforts to protect plants and animals — something that struck her years ago.

"When I realized they weren't incorporated into environmental legislation, the sense of injustice was so profound," recalled Furci. 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. 

Since then, others have popped up — including Canada-based Mycosphaera — together forming the Global Fungal Conservation Network. On Wednesday, the coalition launched the Global Strategy for Fungal Conservation at the COP17 UN biodiversity conference in Yerevan, Armenia. 

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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While the agreement explicitly mentions the need to balance the health of people, animals, plants and ecosystems, fungi are not mentioned.

Tetrapyrgos alba. (Carolina Magnasco/Fungi Foundation)

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.

"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. (Giuliana Furci/Fungi Foundation)

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. 

"I would come up with names for them, like 'Donut Brothers' or 'Pancake King,'" she recalled.

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. 

Unidentified fungi growing on a branch. (Catalina Infante/Fungi Foundation)

But the fungi scientists are tracking face threats just as plants and animals do. 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. 

The number of fungi assessed is still just a tiny fraction of the 96,000 animals and 176,000 plants on the list.

Furci said fungi face many of the same threats as other organisms, including fungicides, fertilizers, habitat fragmentation, habitat loss and climate change.

"Nevertheless," she said, "we have never looked to tailor actions … to ensure their survival."

Furci says doing so wouldn't just benefit fungi themselves.

"Plants can't live outside of water without fungi on their roots," she said. "Herbivores can't digest the plant they eat without the fungi in their stomachs.… We depend on fungi hugely for food, medicine, and many other things."

Witch's cauldron in northern B.C. (Cynthia Andal)

Fungi also play essential roles in decay and recycling 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.

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. 

Pepper pot earthstar (Myriostoma coliforme), found only four times in southwestern Ontario. (Submitted by Allison Walker)

"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. Not only do we not know what fungal species are out there, but they can also be very hard to count.

"It's hard to say … what is actually rare versus just understudied."

Many species are microscopic, including those Walker studies in the roots of Spartina grasses that grow in salt marshes.

"Sometimes, you know, it requires a lot of hours at the microscope to tell apart different species."

Allison Walker looks at microscopic fungi found in the roots of salt marsh grasses. (Submitted by Allison Walker)

The fungi contain proteins that aren't found in the grass itself and that stain blue. (Allison Walker)

Many live underground, and even those that produce visible mushrooms above ground don't necessarily fruit every year. Some may produce mushrooms only under specific conditions, such as after a 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. 

"It's very different from counting animals and plants."

Initiatives at COP

Still, conservationists are trying.

At the UN biodiversity conference two years ago, the Fungi Foundation proposed a fungal conservation pledge that has been signed by 15 countries. More are expected to sign on during the second week of COP17.

Canada hasn't yet signed, but Walker and other Canadian mycologists have been pushing for it to join.

Mycena epipterygia. (Giuliana Furci/Fungi Foundation)

The countries that signed the pledge have already helped get fungi included in scientific recommendations to signatories of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

Furci said greater recognition of fungi within the UN agreement could help countries incorporate them into biodiversity monitoring, conservation planning, ecosystem restoration and national biodiversity strategies.

Ramaria flava. (Giuliana Furci/Fungi Foundation)

But Furci thinks average people can also make a difference by learning about fungi and acknowledging their importance in everyday life. 

"Language creates reality," she said. "To start talking about fungi alongside plants and animals is the first solid step that everybody can do and should do."

This is part of a series of articles highlighting the work of scientists looking at disappearing groups of species you may not have thought much about. It's a chance to get to know them and how they impact our lives, and find out what can be done to keep them around.