Conservation of non-lichen forming microfungi.

D.W. MINTER, ROMERO, A. I., VILARÓ, C.TYKHONENKO, Y., NANAGULYAN, S, SARNKARAN, K. RONG, I

Queensland, Australia

Congreso; 8th International Mycological Congress; 2006

International Mycological Society

PS5-532-0412 Conservation of non-lichen forming microfungi D.W. Minter 1. A.I. Romero 2, M. Camino Vilaro 3, Yu.Ya. Tykhonenko 4, S. Nanagulyan 5, K.V. Saftkaran 7, 1. Rong 6 I CAB International, Egham. Surrey. United Kingdom, 2 Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina, 3 Jardin Botanico Nacional, Havana. Cuba. 4 M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany. Kiev. Ukraine. 5 Yerevan State University, Yerevan, Armenia. 6 Plant Protection Research institute, Queenswood, Pretoria, South Africa, 7 Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Kerala, India. The conservation community is currently able to provide comprehensive global information on the conservation status of just three classes of organisms: mammals, birds and amphibians. Information on trends in extinction risk are only available for two: birds and amphibians. In total, these represent only about 1% of the world's described species (and a much smaller proportion of the probable total biodiversity, which would include huge numbers of undescribed fungi and invertebrate animals). At present, little can be said about the status or extinction risk trends of the other 99% of described species. The lUCN's Sampled Red List Index project has been developed to address this major gap by aiming to provide information on conservation status and extinction risk trends which is more representative of these other species groups. To do this, a small number of major groups has been identified as targets. Three of those groups constitute the fungal component: the non-lichen-forming microfungi, the lichen-forming fungi, and the basidiomycetes (ie macrofungi or mushrooms & toadstools). The present abstract deals with the first of these,ie the non-lichen forming microfungi. In collaboration with the  IUCN, three independent prototype specialist conservation groups are being set up for: • non-lichen forming ascomycetes and anamorphic fungi; • rusts & smuts; • chromistans, chytrids. myxomycetes and zygomycetes. Each group will focus attention on conservation of its fungi, and will prepare information on the status of a randomly selected sample. Although the groupings are somewhat artificial, they represent a first step towards identifying the conservation status and needs of a group of organisms in theory protected under the Rio Convention on Biological. Diversity, but in reality up to now almost totally sidelined by the conservation movement. For more information, please visit the website: http://www.cybertruffle.org.uk/iucn red list/index.htm