Microfungal Conservation

CARMARAN, C. C.; ROMERO A. I

Loussiana , USA

Simposio; Meeting of the Mycological Society of America; 2007

Mycological Society Of America

Carmaran, Cecilia C. and Romero, Andrea I.* Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, UBA, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Pabellon 2, piso 4, Ciudad Universitaria, Av. Int. Guiraldes 2620, CP1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina. romero@bg.fcen.uba.ar. Microfungal conservation. Fungal conservation raises some difficult issues, and is a topic novel for many people. Because most fungi are inconspicuous most of the time, there is little understanding of their diversity and even less of their importance. The raises some difficult issues, and is a topic novel for many people. Because most fungi are inconspicuous most of the time, there is little understanding of their diversity and even less of their importance. The raises some difficult issues, and is a topic novel for many people. Because most fungi are inconspicuous most of the time, there is little understanding of their diversity and even less of their importance. The Fungal conservation raises some difficult issues, and is a topic novel for many people. Because most fungi are inconspicuous most of the time, there is little understanding of their diversity and even less of their importance. The ABSTRACTS 56 public is simply unaware that fungi are indispensable components of the world’s ecosystems and that microfungi are a key source of many important pharmaceuticals and other commercial products. This lack of understanding and awareness results in a political lack of concern about conservation of fungi. For most countries participating in the Rio Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) this is evidenced by a total absence of effort to implement the convention for this important group of organisms. In 1994, Argentina approved the CBD; the Secretariat for the Environment & Sustainable Development is in charge of promoting the country’s biodiversity conservation but the scientific policy is implemented through another Secretariat, which manages the financial support. Argentine scientists are concerned that these two bodies have divergent interests and that implementation of CBD goals in Argentina is delayed by their different opinions. This symposium presentation will discuss the impact of that problematic situation on fungal conservation, and will review national responsibilities to the CBD as a legally binding convention in respect of the fungi. Symposium Presentation