The power of citizen science and big data to advance fungal conservation: setting the scene

2018

In recent years, fungal conservation has gained momentum #1. Fungi are increasingly recognized as key players in ecosystem functioning, and the need to consider Fungi in conservation is increasingly accepted. Fungi are a megadiverse Kingdom. Molecular tools are improving our knowledge about fungal biodiversity (in some cases with direct conservation relevance), but to be meaningful for conservation we need accurate biodiversity data across space and time. This is an especially difficult challenge in fungal conservation due to the massive diversity, taxonomic shortcomings and difficult detectability of fungi. In this context, citizen science recording schemes and the integration of databases…