Fungal Conservation & Biodiversity

Fungi are among the least protected groups of living things, even though they underpin forests, grasslands and soils. This course explains why fungi need conservation attention, beginning with their place in global biodiversity and the threats they face from habitat loss, nitrogen pollution, drainage and a changing climate. It then introduces the IUCN Red List process as applied to fungi, the use of indicator species and the concept of Important Fungus Areas.

Recent years have seen fungi recognised more explicitly in conservation strategies, and organisations increasingly need people who can speak for them in planning and policy. The course suits conservationists, ecologists and policy staff who already work on nature but have little fungal background. Practical modules cover habitat management, such as deadwood retention, grassland grazing and protection of old-growth stands, and how fungi are, or are not, covered by current conservation law. In the final project, students prepare a conservation brief for a chosen site or species, setting out its fungal value, key threats and recommended management or policy actions.