Natural Benefits

Fungi aid in the fermentation of our morning bread, of our wines, beers, and cheeses. They’re also responsible for pharmaceutical developments, such as penicillin, which alone increased human life expectancy by 23 years since its 1938 discovery. In the East, millennia-old records list fungi as treatment for ailments like cancer and sexual dysfunctions.

Inhabiting our gut flora, they ensure the digestion of our food. In various creatures, they thrive as parasites, assist in nutrient absorption, and establish colossal communication networks between plants. A single tree might harbor over 200 distinct fungi throughout its roots, branches, and leaves.

Fungi also bolster soil health and aid in the decomposition of plants, animals, and other species’ remains, preserving forest vitality. They also play an instrumental role in the natural carbon dioxide (CO₂) cycle, helping mitigate part of the global climate crisis instigated by human actions.

Research from the University of Sheffield in England revealed that fungi capture one-third of the annual CO₂ emissions resulting from the burning of fossil fuels like petroleum and coal derivatives. This happens because fungal networks transfer nutrients and extract the gas from plants.

A study published in Fungal Diversity estimated that fungi mobilize nearly US$55 trillion in the global economy. This figure encapsulates their value across various sectors, encompassing ecological and environmental services for humans, as well as their health and nutrition contributions.

Ants ingeniously cultivate “gardens” of fungi using leaf fragments brought back to their nests. This symbiotic relationship offers fungi a secure environment for growth, breaking down the cellulose of plant matter that the insects cannot digest. The ants can then eat the fungi itself.

Certain species produce fats crucial for the growth of Scaptotrigona depilis bee larvae. Known locally as Mandaguari or Canudo, these stingless bees are recognized in several Brazilian states by the distinctive tubes they craft at the entrance to their hives.

Risks to Humans

Certain fungi can induce skin and nail infections, as well as poisonings and infections of internal organs, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Studies indicate that certain fungi exacerbated the mortality rates among hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Primarily spread by stray cats, the Sporothrix brasiliensis fungus can cause skin lesions, eye and nose complications, and even pulmonary issues. This species, overlooked until the mid-1990s, have been reported  in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Colombia, Panama, England, and the United States.

A compilation by scientists enumerated the ten fungi deemed most hazardous to humanity. This list includes species that can “consume brains”, cause fatal infections, obliterate entire crops and wooden structures, induce pulmonary hemorrhages, and even potentially cause the extinction of frog species.

Threats to Fungi

Entire ecosystems might collapse without the essential services of fungi. Yet, they face global threats, ranging from the expansion of agriculture and urbanization to the climate crisis, invasive species encroaching on natural habitats, pollution, and particularly in Brazil, the eradication of native vegetation.

Even in face of such threats, they haven’t made their way onto Brazil’s endangered species lists, nor are they part of federal and state policies and actions dedicated to biodiversity conservation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) only recognized the first fungi at risk in 2003.

Today, the IUCN considers that almost half (48%) of the 597 fungi species analyzed are on the brink of extinction. Of these, 5% are critically endangered, 17% are endangered, 25% are vulnerable, 10% are near threatened, and 34% seemingly not at risk of extinction. The data was insufficient to categorize the remaining 9%.

Political Science

In Brazil, endangered animal and plant species are listed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) and the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden (JBRJ). Fungi have been left adrift, without a national red list.

But domestic species are far from safe. Scientific meetings held in 2020 and 2021 identified 32 Brazilian fungi species at risk of extinction. An unofficial list of endangered species in the country is maintained by the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC).

In January, the IUCN acknowledged the first group of experts dedicated to fungi conservation in Brazil. This team aims to ignite the agenda with more extensive research on species diversity and threats, professional training, education, communication, and political engagement.