Hundreds of fungi species are threatened with extinction

Beneath the forest floor lies a hidden web that sustains life as we know it. These lifelines are not roots, nor are they animals or minerals. They are fungi – ancient organisms that form dense underground networks. Most people never see them, yet they are as essential as sunlight and rain for ecosystems.

Fungi connect trees in silent communication. They help crops resist disease and survive drought. Without fungi, the soil weakens, the plants suffer, and biodiversity falters.

Despite their importance, fungi are rarely featured in conservation headlines. They’ve been largely ignored in environmental efforts, until now.

This month, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released a warning: fungi are under threat. And the threat is serious. Deforestation, farming expansion, and wildfires driven by climate change are pushing hundreds of fungi species toward extinction.

Unsung heroes of life

The IUCN’s latest update of its Red List reveals a worrying trend. Out of 1,300 well-documented fungal species, 411 face extinction.

This number represents only a fraction of the fungal kingdom. Scientists have recorded around 150,000 fungal species so far, but estimates suggest the true count may exceed 2.5 million.

Each of these organisms plays a part in maintaining balance in ecosystems. Many fungi form symbiotic relationships with plants, providing them with nutrients in exchange for sugars.

These relationships are ancient, stretching back over 400 million years. Their loss would unravel natural systems that evolved over millennia.

“Fungi are the unsung heroes of life on Earth, forming the very foundation of healthy ecosystems – yet they have long been overlooked,” said IUCN Director General Grethel Aguilar.

Fungi are unseen but essential

Fungi form their own biological kingdom. They are distinct from plants and animals. Their structures, growth patterns, and reproduction methods differ entirely. Yet, their presence supports both flora and fauna.

“While fungi mainly live hidden underground and inside wood, their loss impacts the life above ground that depends on them,” explained Professor Anders Dahlberg, a Swedish mycologist who led the IUCN’s fungal assessment.

Dahlberg compares their role to the microbiome in human guts. Unseen but essential, fungi allow ecosystems to digest, grow, and respond to change. When fungi vanish, ecosystems lose resilience.

Crops become more vulnerable, trees become less stable, and soils lose their ability to store carbon.

Human impact on fungal networks

Nearly 300 fungal species are now threatened due to expanding agricultural lands and growing cities. As human settlements rise and farmlands sprawl, fungi lose habitat.

Urban development compresses the earth, alters drainage, and cuts through the underground threads fungi rely on.

Nitrogen-rich fertilizers and vehicle emissions also impact fungi. The IUCN notes that 91 species are directly threatened by nitrogen and ammonia pollution.

One example is the fibrous waxcap (Hygrocybe intermedia), an uncommon yellow-orange mushroom found across European meadows. Once spread from Scandinavia to southern Italy, it now faces serious pressure.

Deforestation creates even more severe consequences. The cutting of ancient forests removes the only environment many fungi can survive in. Unlike fast-growing plants, many fungi cannot adapt or migrate quickly.

“Clear-cutting of old-growth forests is especially damaging, destroying fungi that do not have time to re-establish with rotation forestry,” the IUCN noted.

Iconic fungi species are disappearing

Some threatened fungi were once widespread, although none of the popular edible varieties face immediate danger. Dahlberg noted that the most vulnerable types are often very specific, occupying narrow ecological roles in local fungal communities.

One such species is the giant knight (Tricholoma colossus), which has suffered greatly due to the disappearance of old-growth pine forests in Finland, Sweden, and Russia. These forests have declined by 30 percent since the 1970s, shrinking the giant knight’s habitat along with them.

The public rarely hears of such species, yet their loss weakens ecosystems. Each vanished fungus takes with it a piece of the forest’s memory, function, and future stability.

Climate change shifts the forest’s rhythm

Global warming adds another layer of threat. In the United States, shifting fire patterns have altered forest dynamics.

Fires now burn hotter, more often, or in unexpected regions. Over 50 fungal species have been affected, with some pushed to the edge of extinction.

One notable case involves the endangered Gastroboletus citrinobrunneus. This rare fungus depends on specific conditions found in California’s Sierra Nevada. Due to warming, fir trees have overtaken the high-elevation woods, reducing the mushroom’s already limited habitat.

Fungi cannot run. They cannot grow elsewhere at will. When the forest changes, they either adapt slowly or die quickly. Climate pressure forces rapid shifts that fungal systems were never designed to handle.

The kingdom that holds it all together

The IUCN’s Red List now includes nearly 170,000 species, of which over 47,000 face extinction. Fungi, long excluded from mainstream conservation, are now being recognized for their irreplaceable roles.

“Now it’s time to turn this knowledge into action and safeguard the extraordinary fungal kingdom, whose vast underground networks sustain nature and life as we know it,” said Aguilar.

Preserving fungi means protecting forests, clean soil, healthy crops, and biodiversity. These silent organisms are nature’s caretakers. The time has come to listen to their silence – and act before it becomes permanent.

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