Mushrooms: Flora Or Not?

Mushrooms are a type of fungus, which is often categorized separately from flora and fauna. While the terms flora and fauna are commonly used to describe plants and animals, respectively, they are considered archaic and not scientifically accurate. In fact, fungi form their own kingdom, distinct from plants and animals, and play a critical role in ecosystems by breaking down dead matter and returning nutrients to the soil. As such, there have been calls to include a third category, funga, to encompass fungi alongside flora and fauna in conservation strategies and environmental laws.

Mushrooms are fungi, not flora

Mushrooms are a type of fungus, and therefore do not count as flora. While the term "flora" is often used to refer to plants in an informal, non-scientific context, it is more accurate to classify mushrooms as fungi rather than flora.

The kingdom of fungi includes everything from bracket fungi, molds, and yeasts to mushrooms and more. Fungi are distinct from plants in several ways. For example, they grow by budding or as long, often branching, thread-like tubes, and they reproduce by forming spores. Additionally, fungi do not take food into their bodies; instead, they release enzymes onto their food to break it down and then absorb the sugars that are released.

The inclusion of fungi in conservation strategies and environmental laws is important. Fungi play essential ecological roles worldwide, such as breaking down dead matter and returning key nutrients to the soil. However, they are often overlooked and underprotected. For example, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) does not include any fungi on its lists of protected species.

To address this oversight, some scientists and conservationists have proposed the term "funga" to refer specifically to the kingdom of fungi, alongside the terms "flora" for plants and "fauna" for animals. This proposal aims to simplify projects oriented toward educational and conservation goals and to highlight the importance of including fungi in global conservation efforts.

In summary, mushrooms are fungi, not flora. While the term "flora" is sometimes used informally to refer to plants, it is important to make a distinction between fungi and flora in scientific and conservation contexts to ensure that fungi are adequately protected and conserved.

The term 'funga' for fungi

Mushrooms are neither plants nor animals. They are part of the kingdom Fungi, which also includes yeasts, mildews, and molds. Fungi are usually multicellular eukaryotic organisms that cannot make their own food (heterotrophs) but can obtain nutrients from a wide variety of sources. They are of great environmental and medical importance and play an important role in nutrient cycling in an ecosystem.

The term "fungi" is the plural of "fungus," and "fungal" is the adjective form. The study of fungi is known as mycology. The term "funga," which is morphologically similar to "fauna" and "flora," has been proposed to refer to all the fungi of a particular region, habitat, or geological period. This term seeks to simplify projects oriented toward the implementation of educational and conservation goals and to highlight parallel terminology referring to treatments of these macroorganisms in particular geographical areas.

The Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has called for the recognition of fungi as one of the three kingdoms of life, along with animals and plants. The IUCN recommended the use of the term "funga" to replace "flora" and "fauna" when referring to the kingdoms of life, reflecting the importance of fungi alongside plants and animals. This proposal for the term "funga" occurred in 2018, despite previous use, and was recommended by the IUCN in 2021.

The use of the term "funga" is recent, dating back to the 2000s, and it is intended to be less ambiguous than terms like mycobiota or mycota, which are also used to refer to groups of fungi. The adoption of "funga" as a standard term could help to standardize terminology and improve clarity in discussions and research related to fungi. This proposal aligns with the growing recognition of the significance of fungi in various fields, including conservation, ecology, and mycology.

The importance of fungi

Mushrooms are neither plants nor animals; they are fungi. In life sciences, "funga" is a recent term for the kingdom fungi, similar to the longstanding use of "flora" for plants and "fauna" for animals.

Fungi are a diverse group of organisms, ranging from single-celled to complex multicellular organisms. They can be microscopic or have large fruiting bodies with underground systems extending for miles. About 100,000 species of fungi have been identified, but scientists estimate that there are many more species yet to be discovered, with estimates ranging from 0.8 to 3.8 million species.

Fungi are essential for maintaining healthy ecosystems and providing important ecosystem services that benefit humans and the environment. They are responsible for breaking down organic matter and releasing carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus into the soil and the atmosphere. This process, known as decomposition, helps to improve soil fertility and reduce excess carbon in the atmosphere. Fungi are also involved in soil carbon sequestration, capturing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil for long periods. This process can help to address climate change by removing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil.

Fungi also play a crucial role in the carbon cycle through the soil food web. Some fungi are decomposers, breaking down plant and animal debris and cycling nutrients, making them available for plants. They can also facilitate nitrogen fixation and phosphorus mobilization, essential for plant development and productivity.

In addition to their ecological importance, fungi have been used by humans for food and in various industrial processes for centuries. Edible mushrooms are a good source of nutrients, including vitamins B, C, and D, fiber, and minerals. They are also high in protein, making them a popular meat substitute in vegetarian and vegan diets. Fungi have also been indirectly used in bread-making, winemaking, and cheese production for centuries, as they facilitate the fermentation process.

Recent advancements in mycology, the scientific discipline focused on fungi, have led to a better understanding of fungal biodiversity, evolution, genetics, and physiology. This knowledge has the potential to address major global challenges, such as improving resource efficiency, developing renewable substitutes for fossil resources, and strengthening gut biota to counteract lifestyle diseases and antibiotic resistance. Fungi are also being used as host organisms for the production of new biological drugs.

The conservation of fungi

While the term ""flora" is often used conversationally to refer to plants, in a scientific context, the kingdom that includes plants is called "flora", and the kingdom that includes fungi is "fungi". The term "funga", referring to all the fungi of a particular region, habitat, or geological period, has been proposed to simplify projects oriented toward educational and conservation goals.

Fungi are essential to maintaining ecological environments and reducing the effects of climate change. They facilitate the nutrient cycle and carbon cycle, act as a food source for humans and animals, regulate animal populations, and contribute to the degradation of pollutants. They also provide plants with nitrogen, phosphate, and water through decomposition, protect them against pests, communicate with plants through their mycelium network, and stimulate plant growth by influencing root development.

Despite their importance, fungi are often overlooked and under-protected in almost all countries worldwide. The British Mycological Society considers fungi to be in urgent need of conservation. Current threats to fungi include the destruction of forests worldwide, habitat fragmentation, changes in land use, pollution, anthropogenic climate change, and the over-exploitation of commercially attractive species.

Conservation efforts for fungi include governmental regulation of species and their use, habitat protection, and the regulation of known threats. Species-specific approaches typically target known at-risk species and utilize geographic and population data to derive conservation strategies. These strategies include reducing human use of the species, regulating land use, reducing invasive predator populations, and improving habitat quality.

To aid in conservation efforts, expertise from diverse fields is needed to tie traditional taxonomic knowledge to data obtained from modern -omics-based approaches and support the advancement of diverse research perspectives. New tools are also required, including an updated framework for describing and tracking species known only from DNA.

The classification of mushrooms

Mushrooms are a type of fungus, and fungi are not plants, although they are often stocked near fresh produce in grocery stores. Fungi are more closely related to animals, but they have unique features that set them apart. They grow by budding or as long, often branching, thread-like tubes, and they reproduce by forming spores.

In the past, mushrooms were classified as plants, but this view has changed. Fungi, including mushrooms, are now understood to be their own kingdom, distinct from plants and animals. This kingdom includes everything from bracket fungi, molds, and yeasts to mushrooms and more.

The term "funga" has been proposed to refer to the kingdom of fungi, analogous to "fauna" for animals and "flora" for plants. This terminology seeks to simplify projects oriented toward educational and conservation goals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has called for the recognition of fungi as one of the three kingdoms of life, critical to protecting and restoring Earth.

Despite these efforts, fungi are still often omitted from conservation strategies and environmental laws. For example, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) does not include any fungi on its lists of protected species. While a resolution was passed in 2002 stating that fungi can be included, none of the member states have proposed any additions. This may be due to a lack of knowledge about endangered fungi and the importance of fungi in general.

In summary, mushrooms are classified as fungi, which are a distinct kingdom of life separate from plants and animals. The term "funga" has been proposed to refer to this kingdom, and there are ongoing efforts to include fungi in global conservation goals and legal protections.

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