Saving the forgotten kingdom in Malta

Fungi are different from animals and plants. Since at least the 1970s, scientists haveagreed that fungi belong in their own separate biological kingdom which is likely to contain farmore species than the plant kingdom. Ecologically and economically, the Fungi Kingdom is ofan immense value and is necessary for sustainable life on planet earth. There are six kingdomclassifications of life - with Fungi classified as a kingdom of their own. Taxa of Kingdom Fungiare diverse, and as the second largest group of organisms - after insects, are distributed amongnumerous groups of living organisms. Technological advances in molecular research haveenabled mycologists to discover and identify fungal taxa. It is estimated that as many as 1.5million fungal species exist.In Malta the public perception, biodiversity and conservation of fungi is very low withawareness being close to non-existent. A lot of education regarding the subject is urgentlyneeded. Malta Mycological Association (MMA) was founded only recently (2014) in an effortto promote awareness, interest and conservation regarding the importance of fungi, their functionin the ecological system along with the importance and benefits of their existence in ourenvironment.This work has to be considered as an important contribution to the nature conservationprogram in Malta. One important theme is the sustainable use of fungal resources, enforcementof legislations and conventions concerning the fungal diversity in different habitats in Malta. Inaddition to the urgency of environmental education, the application of appropriate protectedarea-management systems is also recommended. Given the importance of fungi to the biosphere and the increasing interest in fungal conservation worldwide, addressing oversights and obstacles such as these is a crucial step towards effective protection and management of fungi.