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The Invisible Damage of Wildfires: How Do They Affect the Fungi Kingdom?

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Dr. Roberto Ipinza Carmona, a Forestry Engineer, addressed a crucial yet often overlooked issue—the impact of wildfires on the kingdom of fungi, or Fungi. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Ipinza shared his insights on how these devastating events not only destroy visible flora and fauna but also deeply affect fungal biodiversity, with far-reaching economic, social, and environmental consequences.

One key point highlighted was how wildfires impact edible and medicinal mushrooms, many of which are vital to the local economy, gastronomy, and mycological tourism. The loss of species such as morels, saffron milk caps, or black truffles not only limits harvesting and commercialization opportunities but also affects businesses reliant on these resources, hindering the development of truffle cultivation in Chile and other mushroom-derived products.

The growing interest in mycological routes—tourist itineraries designed for mushroom foraging and observation in their natural habitat—is severely impacted by these disasters. The destruction of habitats and trails causes local communities to lose a significant source of income while fungal biodiversity in forests diminishes.

Regarding long-term impacts, the loss of biodiversity in this field also affects industrial sectors such as pharmaceuticals, which rely on fungi for the development of medicines and other products.

Finally, the researcher called for the protection of forests and their biodiversity, emphasizing the importance of conserving the fungi kingdom for ecological balance and the economic prosperity of local communities.

Source:Channel 9