Just a stroll through a forest in the United States will easily reveal mushrooms of various strange shapes, sizes, and colors. This is part of a vast “kingdom” of fungi, a hidden world that exists both underground and above ground.
Mushrooms play an essential role in the ecosystem that all life depends on, yet human knowledge about them remains quite limited. Fungi come in many forms: some are tall and slender with caps resembling “helmets”, while others have shapes reminiscent of convoluted brains.
From a biological perspective, fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants.
Ms. Amy Honan, a lecturer specializing in mycology and fungal ecology at the University of Oregon, states that from a biological standpoint, fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants. Trees have the ability to produce food through photosynthesis, but fungi cannot do that; they need to consume food from their surroundings. Ms. Honan explains that fungi use enzymes to break down external food. They secrete enzymes to decompose organic matter and absorb nutrients.
Among the estimated 2.5 million species of fungi believed to exist on Earth, science has only described about 150,000 species, which accounts for about 6%. Compared to what humans know about plants and animals, this number is indeed very modest. Ms. Honan notes that humans currently understand about 98% of vertebrate species on the planet, approximately 85% of plant species, and only 20% of invertebrate species.
The lack of knowledge about fungi is concerning due to their vital role in the ecosystem. Fungi appeared before plants and play an essential role in all terrestrial ecosystems. They provide numerous benefits to plants, ranging from salt tolerance to disease resistance. Ms. Honan emphasizes that without fungi, plants would not exist, and that would impact the oxygen supply on the planet.
Awareness of the importance of fungi is steadily increasing, and the 16th Meeting of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16), taking place in Colombia starting on October 21, will include discussions about the role of fungi. Previously, Chile and the United States proposed recognizing fungi as a “separate living kingdom” in legislation, policies, and agreements aimed at promoting their conservation and maintaining their benefits for ecosystems and humanity.
