Mushrooms Face Extinction: Essential Yet Overlooked, the Silent Crisis

Mushrooms are vanishing quietly. Of the approximately 150,000 known species worldwide, only a fraction have been listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List. Among these, 411 species are at risk of extinction.

“A significant effort has been made to explore a group that was almost completely overlooked until now,” says Florian Kirchner, head of the Species Programme at IUCN France. “It’s a small step, but a noteworthy one.” We now know that species like the ruby bolete, leaden bolete, netted willow milkcap, and bumpy peat milkcap are endangered in France. This is still a modest count compared to the estimated 2.5 million mushroom species globally that have not been cataloged.

Mushrooms, neither plant nor animal, constitute a unique kingdom of life. They are more than just a stem and a cap. What we typically see when we walk in the woods is actually just the fruiting body of the mushroom. The real action happens underground, within a network of filaments (the mycelium), which can produce a reproductive structure—the fruiting body of the mushroom that we sometimes eat, provided they are non-toxic.

Unlike birds, mammals, or certain insects like butterflies, mushrooms are understudied. This is due to a lack of funding, structured knowledge, scientific data, and training in mycology—the study of fungi. There are indeed amateur mycologists, but “mycology is not an easily accessible science,” explains Hervé Cochard, president of the French Mycological Society and research director at Inrae. Studying mushrooms under a microscope and the absence of a comprehensive catalog of species complicate matters.

That’s why only about 1,300 mushroom species have been listed by the IUCN. “We should not focus solely on animals and plants. In the ecosystem, everyone has their role,” emphasizes Marc-André Selosse, professor at the National Museum of Natural History in France and mycologist.

“Without fungi, the forests as we know them today would not exist,” states Florian Kirchner. These organisms live in symbiosis with trees: fungi provide water and minerals, protect trees from diseases and droughts. In return, trees supply them with sugars produced through photosynthesis. The health of forests depends on their presence.

Mushrooms contribute to the vitality of our ecosystems by decomposing dead organic matter. They are also the only organisms capable of breaking down certain plants. Parasitic fungi, often viewed negatively, help control populations. “For nature, everything is useful. Judging value is based on a human-centered perspective,” notes Yann Sellier, mycologist and scientific head at the National Natural Reserve of Pinail (Vienne).

Beyond their ecological role, fungi are rich in compounds used in some of our medications. All the more reason they need protection. Yet, there are no conservation programs specifically for them.

Habitat destruction due to poor forestry practices, urbanization, the use of pesticides, climate change with increasing droughts and fires…

“We’ve lost 90% of the fungi in Western European meadows and grasslands over the past 70 years,” says Yann Sellier. “It’s not yet ingrained in our minds that fungi, algae, certain mosses are also species threatened by human activity.”

For Florian Kirchner, the IUCN Red List that identifies extinction risks is an initial finding “that should help prioritize and initiate actions.” In France, a list to grant certain fungi protected species status is being drafted by the Ministry of Ecological Transition. Yann Sellier hopes it will come to fruition, but remains realistic: “The fate of this list is uncertain. Implementing it requires political will.”