Chapter 1

Fungal Conservation and Sustainability in Europe

David Minter

Abstract

The Convention on Biological Diversity requires every participating country to prepare a national biodiversity strategy and action plan and submit periodic progress reports on efforts to achieve the plan’s goal. The most recent such documents submitted by each participating country in Europe were evaluated from the perspective of fungal conservation using simple criteria. In every case, coverage of fungi was markedly poorer than for animals and plants, being mostly far less than 5% that of animals alone. No report dealt adequately with fungi. Most overlooked fungal habitats and contained no strategic planning explicitly for protecting fungi. Almost all confused fungi with plants. Some totally failed to mention fungi. At a governmental level, European fungal conservation and sustainability is deeply deficient. Ways to ameliorate this inadequate treatment through science, infrastructure, education and political approaches are discussed.

Total Pages: 3-30 (28)

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