Most fungi spend the majority of their lives out of sight.
The mushroom that appears above the soil or on a fallen log is usually only the visible reproductive structure of a much larger fungal organism. Beneath our feet, within wood and around plant roots, fungi participate in some of the most important processes in an ecosystem.
One of their most familiar roles is decomposition. Fungi help break down fallen leaves, branches and dead trees, returning nutrients to the ecosystem instead of leaving organic matter permanently locked away.
Many fungi also form close relationships with plants. Mycorrhizal fungi associate with plant roots, participating in exchanges that can help plants gain access to water and nutrients while receiving carbon compounds produced by the plant.
Other fungi interact with insects, animals, bacteria, algae and even other fungi.
Together, these relationships make fungi part of an enormously complicated biological network.
Yet fungal conservation has historically received much less attention than the conservation of plants and animals. A tremendous amount of fungal diversity remains undocumented, making observations, biodiversity surveys, specimens and long-term records particularly important.
There are simple ways anyone interested in fungi can contribute.
Learn about the fungi where you live. Photograph and document observations. Support natural history collections. Participate in organized biodiversity projects. Leave some fallen wood and other natural material in suitable habitats rather than assuming every dead branch must be removed.
Perhaps most importantly, begin including fungi when you think and talk about biodiversity.
A healthy forest is not simply a collection of trees and animals. Much of what keeps that forest functioning is happening quietly underneath them.
Once we begin seeing fungi as fundamental members of ecosystems rather than occasional mushrooms appearing after rain, conservation starts to look very different
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