WHY FUNGAL CONSERVATION MATTERS

Fungi are essential for ecosystem functioning, including nutrient cycling, soil health, and plant

interactions. Despite their importance, they remain one of the least documented groups in

biodiversity research. This limits their inclusion in conservation planning and environmental

decision-making.   

Gujarat supports diverse ecosystems with high potential fungal diversity. However, systematic

documentation remains limited across most habitats. This creates critical gaps in biodiversity

knowledge and conservation planning.     

Fungal diversity is under threat from habitat loss, climate change, and increasing environmental  pressures. In Gujarat, the lack of systematic documentation further limits effective conservation planning.    

At Fungi of Gujarat, we document fungal diversity through field surveys, taxonomy, and data integration. Our focus is to generate reliable baseline data across ecosystems. This supports research, education, and conservation planning.      

• Field Documentation – Systematic ecosystem-based fungal surveys

• Taxonomic Research – Scientific identification and classification

• Molecular Integration – DNA-supported species identification

• Open-Access Knowledge – Accessible data for research and education     

Our approach integrates field observations with taxonomic and molecular methods to generate reliable, verifiable, and scalable biodiversity data.     Read More →     

• 15–25 survey sites across diverse ecosystems of Gujarat

• 300–500 fungal records documented with geo-referenced field data

• 150–250 species identified using morphology and ITS DNA barcoding

• Regional checklist (1900–2027) integrating literature and field observations

• Open-access species database for research, education, and conservation use     

• 150+ fungal species documented through field surveys 

• 300+ curated records from literature and field observations 

• Regional fungal checklist (1900–2026) in development                

This initiative generates reliable baseline biodiversity data and supports conservation planning, research, and environmental awareness. It also helps strengthen the recognition of fungi as an important component of biodiversity and contributes to long-term biodiversity monitoring and conservation decision-making.     

Fungi remain underrepresented in conservation policies and biodiversity frameworks. Improving data and awareness is essential for their inclusion. This supports evidence-based conservation and environmental planning.     

To integrate fungi into mainstream biodiversity research and conservation strategies in India. To support environmental policy and long-term ecological monitoring. To strengthen open-access fungal biodiversity data.