Conservation of Abundance: How Fungi can Contribute to Rethinking Conservation

Abstract

Mainstream biodiversity conservation continues to emphasise the rapid disappearance of charismatic megafauna. Fungi are ignored, partially because many are invisible. However, their conservation is of growing concern because their decline signals a decrease in overall biodiversity and losses in ecosystem integrity and function. Social science engagement with microbes is of growing interest because the diverse characteristics of fungal bodies create new entry points for conservation. Using data collected over three years from literature review, lab ethnography, and interviews, this paper develops two new concepts intended to operate at the intersection of these discussions. A review of the fungal conservation literature finds mainstream species conservation an ill fit for fungi. Drawing from the literature on ecosystem function and conservation biopolitics, I introduce the term ‘functional collectives’ to reframe the role of fungi in nature through a focus on fungal bodies. Acknowledging the extraordinary diversity of fungi and their relative unknowability, I further introduce the concept of ‘conservation of abundance’. A focus on abundance rather than scarcity meets the needs expressed by fungal conservationists for habitat protection and conservation based on available knowledge. Both concepts align with the biophysical realities of fungi while also answering growing calls within social conservation for conviviality and care.