IUCN Red List Identifies 411 Fungi Species at Risk of Extinction

The latest update highlights human-driven threats like deforestation, nitrogen pollution, and climate change, urging greater conservation focus on fungi's critical ecological and human contributions.

• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified 411 fungi species as at risk of extinction out of 1,300 assessed in its latest Red List update.
• Key threats include deforestation, agricultural expansion, nitrogen and ammonia pollution, and climate change-driven factors like altered fire patterns.
• Fungi play essential roles in ecosystems, including nutrient cycling, carbon storage, and supporting plant health, while also contributing to food production and medicine.
• Iconic species such as the giant knight and fibrous waxcap are particularly vulnerable due to habitat loss from old-growth forest destruction and urbanization.
• With fungi vastly underrepresented in global conservation efforts, the IUCN calls for urgent action to protect this critical yet overlooked biological kingdom.

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The Independent