Joint Network for wild Fungi (JoNeF): A European Network for Fungal Conservation
In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the necessity of integrating Fungi (macrofungi) into European environmental policies on a par with Animals and Plants, in order to protect them in their natural habitats. Despite that, currently European environmental legislation focuses on protect plants and animals excluding Fungi, which are essential components of terrestrial habitats. Moreover, macrofungi can be used as indicators to describe the environmental conditions of forests and other terrestrial habitats.
JoNeF started in July 2023, bringing together experts, institutions, and environmental authorities to promote fungal conservation in Europe.
JoNeF 2023-24: First Steps
During its first cycle (2023-24), JoNeF laid the groundwork for integrating fungi into European environmental policies with key achievements:
- Creation of the JoNeF team, engaging experts, institutions, and environmental authorities.
- Survey on national conservation policies: A questionnaire sent to 32 European countries highlighted major differences in conservation approaches.
- Publication of the JoNeF Survey Report, summarizing survey results.
- Submission of a guidance document with recommendations for integrating fungi into environmental policies, currently awaiting approval.
Key Findings:
- Absence of a unified European directive on fungal conservation.
- Lack of interoperability among existing national systems.
- Need for stronger collaboration between the scientific community and environmental authorities.
Project outputs:
1. JoNeF Survey Report
A questionnaire-based survey was developed by the JoNeF project team and distributed from October to December 2023 to IMPEL and non-IMPEL member organizations, contacting experts and institutions that were interested in fungal conservation and data collection.
Respondents from thirty-two European countries replied to the questionnaire. The responses showed the interest for the subject as well as differences between countries.
Some European countries have developed laws, policies, and plans for the study of fungal diversity and its protection while others do not have any specific law on fungal conservation.
This variability highlights the absence of a common European operational framework (or a common European directive), and therefore the lack of common environmental policies and scientific initiatives at European level. This lack affects the possibility of obtaining a homogeneous framework of knowledge on fungal diversity in European countries, since different data acquisition systems cannot be interoperable in absence of common rules.
Here you can download the JoNeF Survey Report, which was approved by the General Assembly during the 26-28 June 2024 meeting.
The report also available in Italian, IT-Rapporto di indagine JoNeF-2024
JoNeF 2025-27: New Goals
The second cycle (2025-27) aims to strengthen collaboration between science and policy to improve fungal conservation. Without a common regulatory framework, data collection remains fragmented, and conservation strategies are inconsistent.
Key Objectives
- Strengthen cooperation between environmental authorities and the scientific community.
- Advocate for the inclusion of fungi in European environmental policies.
- Develop harmonized standards for fungal data collection across Europe.
- Integrate fungal data into international databases.
Expected Outcomes
- Establishment of a shared European process for fungal data collection.
- Definition of mycoindicators to assess habitat quality, including Natura 2000 sites.
- Launch of a dedicated JoNeF website to centralize information and activities.
Main Deliverables
- 2025: Report on fungal information systems in Europe and worldwide.
- 2026: Report on mycoindicators applicable to habitat conservation assessments.
- 2027: Report on a harmonized data collection system and launch of the JoNeF website.
JoNeF is working towards a Europe where fungi are finally recognized in biodiversity conservation strategies.