Conservation of Microfungi - a voice for unprotected and vulnerable organisms: home page

CONSERVATION OF MICROFUNGI
a voice for unprotected and vulnerable organisms
Welcome

Welcome to the home page of the Darwin Initiative project Conservation of Microfungi - a voice for unprotected and vulnerable organisms. This 3-year project, which began in May 2007, works through BioNET-INTERNATIONAL and aims to initiate a global movement for conservation of microfungi.

Summary. Although the Rio Convention on Biological Diversity [CBD] established the moral right for all species of organisms to exist on this planet, in many cases the protection implied by that right has remained theoretical rather than real. This is particularly true for the microfungi. The conservation needs of this huge array of organisms remain largely unknown, and there is currently no explicit protection for them anywhere in the world. This project seeks to change this situation by the following three key actions:

it will establish three World Conservation Union [IUCN]-compatible Specialist Groups (for [1] non-lichen-forming ascomycetes & conidial fungi, [2] rusts & smuts, and [3] chromistans, chytrids, myxomycetes & zygomycetes), working through them to prepare global conservation plans for fungi covered by each;

in co-operation with the IUCN’s Sampled Red List Project and compatible with its red list assessment criteria, it will prepare and publish global conservation status assessments for over 800 sample species of microfungi as baseline information for the CBD’s 2010 Biodiversity Target;

it will build capacity for conservation of microfungi and their sustainable use, prioritizing Africa, by training mycologists, enhancing web-based informational resources for mycology and recycling used equipment.

Please note. This website is designed for a screen resolution of at least 1024 × 768 pixels.

	it will establish three World Conservation Union [IUCN]-compatible Specialist Groups (for [1] non-lichen-forming ascomycetes & conidial fungi, [2] rusts & smuts, and [3] chromistans, chytrids, myxomycetes & zygomycetes), working through them to prepare global conservation plans for fungi covered by each;
	in co-operation with the IUCN’s Sampled Red List Project and compatible with its red list assessment criteria, it will prepare and publish global conservation status assessments for over 800 sample species of microfungi as baseline information for the CBD’s 2010 Biodiversity Target;
	it will build capacity for conservation of microfungi and their sustainable use, prioritizing Africa, by training mycologists, enhancing web-based informational resources for mycology and recycling used equipment.