Joint Network for wild Fungi (JoNeF)

Year
2023
Status
Ongoing
Lead country and contact

Italy

Tags Biodiversity Information exchange

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

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 JoNeF Guidance with recommendations for integrating fungi into environmental policies, currently awaiting approval.

The JoNeF Survey Report (also available in Italian) and The JoNeF Guidance are available under "Project Outputs" menu on the right-hand side.  

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.

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.

JoNeF Project Team

JoNeF 2025  

👉The JoNeF 2025 Questionnaire is part of the second phase of the Joint Network for wild Fungi project. It aims to collect an overview of national information systems comprehending fungal data and to identify key institutions involved in fungal conservation across Europe. The questionnaire is open to environmental authorities, research institutions, and fungal networks. Deadline 20 May 2025.

This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic. Your IP address and user-agent are shared with Google along with performance and security metrics to ensure quality of service, generate usage statistics, and to detect and address abuse.