Fungi and the IUCN Red List: a new study analyses the status of species occurring in Italy
A new study focusing on the conservation status of fungi occurring in Italy and included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has been published in the Italian Journal of Mycology.
The article, “1,302 fungal species published on the global IUCN Red List: what patterns occur for those found in Italy?”, by Claudia Perini, Jeffery K. Stallman, Elena Salerni, Anders Dahlberg and Gregory M. Mueller, analyses IUCN Red List data with particular reference to fungal species occurring in Italy.
Of the 1,302 fungal species assessed globally, 444 occur in Europe and 282 in Italy. Among the species occurring in Italy, 177 (62.7%) are classified as Least Concern (LC), while 64 are globally threatened: 51 Vulnerable (VU), 11 Endangered (EN) and 2 Critically Endangered (CR). The study also highlights the strong prevalence of mycorrhizal species, which account for 73.4% of the Italian species considered.
A particularly important finding is the knowledge gap concerning Ascomycota, which account for only 3.2% of the assessed species occurring in Italy, despite the group’s high diversity and ecological, cultural and economic importance. Groups that are still insufficiently represented in conservation assessments include, for example, truffles.
Most of the species analysed are associated with forest habitats. The main pressures identified include habitat loss and alteration, biological resource use – including logging and wood harvesting – residential and commercial development, agricultural activities, changes in forest management, wildfires, invasive species and, for some species, the harvesting of fungal fruiting bodies.
The authors underline that Red Lists are a fundamental tool for understanding species’ extinction risk, while also stressing the need to translate scientific assessments into concrete conservation actions and policies that fully include fungi alongside flora and fauna.
The study also highlights the importance of assessments carried out at national and regional scales, which can complement the information available at the global level and help fill the still substantial knowledge gaps concerning the conservation of Italian funga.
Reference
Perini C., Stallman J.K., Salerni E., Dahlberg A., Mueller G.M. (2026). 1,302 fungal species published on the global IUCN Red List: what patterns occur for those found in Italy? Italian Journal of Mycology, 55: 120–133. DOI: 10.60923/issn.2531-7342/24478.