Many of the world’s fungi are “unhonored heroes” of life on Earth – threatened with extinction, with risk assessments covering more than 1,300 species revealed.
The findings came with the latest update of the United Nations’ Conservation of Threatened Species (IUCN) Red List.
read: The consequences of suppressed diversity
Currently, the entire Red List contains 169,420 species of animals, plants and fungi, of which 47,187 are extinct, scientists said.
I was threatened
There are an estimated 2.5 million species around the world. Of these, only 155,000 are known to scientists. Secondly, only a small portion of these are assessed for extinction risk. The latest research includes 482 newly analyzed species, bringing the total number of red lists to 1,300.
Of these species, at least 411 are at risk of extinction, agriculture and urban expansion, clear cutting of old growth forests, climate change and pollution, with some species facing multiple threats.
The guardians behind the Red List warned that it was time to protect the “extraordinary fungal kingdom” that sustains nature and life on Earth.
IUCN Director Dr. Grethel Aguilar said:
“Thanks to the dedication of experts and citizen scientists, we have taken an important step. Today, more than 1,000 of the 155,000 known fungal species worldwide are being evaluated for the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species Species, the most comprehensive source of information on extinction risk.
Puffball
“Now it is time to turn this knowledge into action and protect the extraordinary fungal kingdom.
Agriculture and urban growth replaces fungal habitats, putting 279 species at risk of extinction, and nitrogen and ammonia spills from fertilizer and engine contamination threaten 91 fungi.
At least 198 species are at risk of deforestation, with clear cuts in old growth forests being particularly damaged, but more than 50 species are at risk of extinction due to changes in US fire patterns as a result of climate change, IUCN said.
Professor Andersdahlberg, coordinator of IUCN’s Mushroom, Bracket and Puffball Specialists Group, said:
Critical
“Loss of fungi leads to poverty in the ecosystem services and resilience they provide, from drought and pathogen resistance in crops and trees to carbon storage in the soil.
He added: “It is important that older forests are protected. Forestry practices should consider fungi, such as leaving dead or scattered trees, and aggressive forest management can help manage fire strength.”
The IUCN Red List warns that five frankincense trees from Socrota Island, Yemen, have moved from vulnerable to extinction, putting them at risk of extinction, one from vulnerable to vulnerable to severely endangered species.
Three species have been evaluated for the first time and are considered to be the most at-risk category, with trees grazing by goats and increasingly more extreme weather conditions.
This author
Emily Beament is a PA Environmental Correspondent.
