Archived press release

Scientists speak out against loss of fungi

22 April 1996

The biodiversity that helps the Earth's crops grow is going extinct faster than scientists can study it according to the World's top fungus experts.

Fungi are the group of species that include mushrooms, toadstools and moulds and are the life support system of the World's soils, providing the roots of most plants on Earth with essential nutrients. They play an essential role in recycling nutrients by rotting dead plant remains. There are at least 1,500,000 species of fungi in the World, but only 72,000 have been described by scientists [1].

85 of the World's leading fungus scientists from as far afield as China, the USA and Estonia meeting last week at the British Mycological Society's centenary symposium at Sheffield University - celebrating 100 years of fungus science - signed an unprecedented declaration expressing their anger at the habitat loss leading to the destruction of so many fungus species.

Tony Juniper, Deputy Campaigns Director of Friends of the Earth said:"Fungi are one of the least known and yet economically one of the most important groups of species. The fact that they are disappearing faster than people can study them has potentially very serious long term consequences for life on Earth. Rates of habitat loss must be reduced urgently, including in the UK where at least 500 species are considered at risk." [2]

Signatories to the declaration included Professor Bartnicki Garcia from the USA and Professor John Webster, President of the British Mycological Society. The declaration stated: "We the undersigned scientists express our deep regret at the continued loss of habitat for the fungus kingdom as a global phenomenon. The rate of loss must rapidly decline, for we are losing the subjects of our science faster than we can study them."ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

[1] Global Biodiversity Assessment, UNEP, 1995.[2] 338 species are included on the UK Red Data List with an additional 177 species classified as data deficient', though these are species considered to be at risk.

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