There are millions of species of fungi and the majority are still undiscovered and unresearched. A fungus is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. Abundant worldwide, most fungi are inconspicuous because of their small and cryptic lifestyles in soil.
In the last decade, more attention has been put towards fungi and the information has been staggering. As the predecessor to both plants (flora) and animals (fauna), fungi have remarkable characteristics and coping mechanisms. They have the potential to consume petroleum products (filtering them from waterways), consume heavy metals (remediating toxic waste sites), consume plastic, grow new brain cells in humans (neurogenesis), and provide natural solutions to a multitude of other critical concerns like fertilizer replacements and pest control.
We have just begun to scratch the surface of what fungi can do, but we need more research and conservation of fungi. We have no idea how many species have already gone extinct and our minimal research attempts have indicated many species are endangered. Any one of these could hold a life-saving solution.
To conserve and protect fungi is to conserve plants, animals, biodiversity, rainforests, tundra, and all other components of our natural world. Check out the tips to learn more about fungi and how you can go even further to help build our knowledge of these important and mysterious organisms!