Speaker
Description
Fungi play essential roles in ecosystem functioning, nutrient cycling, soil health, plant interactions and habitat quality, yet they remain largely underrepresented in biodiversity monitoring systems and environmental decision-making processes. Across Europe, monitoring frameworks have traditionally focused on flora and fauna, while fungal diversity has received limited operational use despite its ecological relevance.
JoNeF (Joint Network for wild Fungi), developed within the IMPEL network, aims to address this gap through cooperation among environmental authorities, agencies and scientific experts. The project promotes the integration of fungi into environmental governance by supporting harmonised approaches to data collection, monitoring methodologies, information exchange and indicator development.
In 2026, a key focus of JoNeF is the development of three fungal indicator concepts designed to support practical environmental assessment and evidence-based decision-making. These concepts aim to translate fungal ecological knowledge into operational tools applicable to habitat quality evaluation, ecosystem functioning and responses to environmental pressures.
This contribution presents the JoNeF approach and the rationale behind the indicator concepts, with a focus on their potential for testing and validation within experimental and monitoring infrastructures. It specifically addresses their relevance for the AnaEE community, highlighting opportunities to apply and evaluate fungal indicators in soil-plant systems, ecosystem experiments and long-term monitoring platforms.
The contribution aims to foster collaboration to support the integration of fungi into biodiversity monitoring frameworks and environmental decision-making.
| Are you participating to the "AnaEE Environmental Rising Star Award "? | No |
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