Scientists seek to protect fungi as changing climate threatens mushrooms, lichens скачать в хорошем качестве

Scientists seek to protect fungi as changing climate threatens mushrooms, lichens

(17 Feb 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Angwin, California - 25 January 2026 1. Various of Jessica Allen and Jesse Miller looking at lichen in Pacific Union College Forest 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jessica Allen, NatureServe, lead mycologist: "So we're out here looking for the Manzanita butter clump. It was seen here a couple of years ago. And one thing that we're working on is monitoring rare fungi. And so gathering all of the data that we need to better understand them." 3. Phone screen show Manzanita butter clump mushrooms 4. Allen, Miller and Stephen Sharrett walking in forest 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jessica Allen, NatureServe, lead mycologist: "So they're the great decomposers of the world. They connect tree roots and shuttle nutrients around forests. They are important food sources for animals, nesting material for birds and on and on. And they're really one of our greatest carbon sinks on the planet." 6. Various of Allen looking at mushroom 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Jessica Allen, NatureServe, lead mycologist: "So there are over 150,000 named species of fungi on this planet, but we're pretty sure there are 2.5 million total species." 8. Various of fungi in forest during hike 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Jessica Allen, NatureServe, lead mycologist: "Many of those species produce really unique chemical compounds, and they have the potential to serve as novel sources of pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals that we can really use to better humans' lives." 10. Various of Allen examining mushroom found in ashes 11. SOUNDBITE (English) Jessica Allen, NatureServe, lead mycologist: "Fungi face many of the same threats that animals and plants do. Climate change is a really concerning threat, both sea level rise, greater drought, changing temperatures, changing weather, changing precipitation." 12. Allen looking at lichen on tree with magnifying glass 13. Fungi on tree branch 14. SOUNDBITE (English) Jessica Allen, NatureServe, lead mycologist: "I'd say habitat loss is the greatest threat to fungi and to most biodiversity on this planet. Unsustainable forestry and development, it's really concerning and species are just essentially losing places to live." 15. Various of Allen examining lichen on fallen tree 16. SOUNDBITE (English) Jesse Miller, president, California Lichen Society: "I've always been a fan of the underdog, and lichens are a real underdog in the natural world. There just aren't a lot of people paying attention to lichens." 17. Various of Miller looking at lichen in hand 18. SOUNDBITE (English) Jesse Miller, president, California Lichen Society: "One great thing about lichens is they're sensitive environmental indicators. For example, they soak up everything that's in the air, so they're very sensitive to air pollution. So I always felt like lichens have a lot of stories to tell us if we just listen to them." 19. Various of Miller looking at lichen on tree 20. SOUNDBITE (English) Jesse Miller, president, California Lichen Society: "Humans need the natural world to be able to survive. And so lichens are this under-appreciated part of these ecosystems that's actually playing very important roles. So ultimately it does come back and affect humans." 21. Various of Stephen Sharrett looking at lichen with magnifying glass 22. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephen Sharrett, lichenologist: "I've only been studying lichens and fungi for the last five or six years, and so it's always a great opportunity to learn something, especially when you go into a habitat you've never been in before or a new environment. You always get to see new things." STORYLINE: Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...