Fungi form a kingdom of life — they show us how we all need others to live

Source: The post is based on an article “Fungi form a kingdom of life — they show us how we all need others to live” published in The Times of India on 3^rd September 2022.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Biodiversity

Relevance: fungi and its uses

News: This article discusses the fungi and problem associated with it.

What are fungi?

1) They are neither plants nor animals. They are a body of species. They vary in size. 2) Yeast, moulds, lichens, mushrooms, and conks or wood are types of fungi.3) Fungi decompose matter. They also perform a symbiotic role. Plants can only synthesize nutrients from the soil with the help of fungi. 4) Fungi are impacted by climate change, use of chemicals, habitat loss, and fragmentation. 5 Some fungi are critically endangered.

What are the uses of fungi?

Some fungi cause diseases and some provide essential goods. For example, Yeasts give us food preservation and liquid sterilization technique. Antibiotics come from moulds and penicillin and statins from fungus. Medicines needed for organ transplants come from fungi.

What can be done to save fungi?

The IUCN Red List should be applied to fungi as well.

They need to be added to flora and fauna in environment legislation.

Fungi are dependent on plants and animals to grow in order to preserve fungi we should preserve those trees and animals.

Fungal conservation is integrally habitat conservation.