Fungal biodiversity as an overlooked pillar of protected area effectiveness

HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-BIODIV-04

Ensuring continuous effectiveness of protected areas in conserving habitats and species while facing intensifying drivers of biodiversity loss

Full description of the envisaged project

The project aims to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of protected areas (PAs) in conserving habitats and species under intensifying pressures from climate change, land-use change and emerging biological threats. While current assessments of protected area performance predominantly focus on plants and animals, this project explicitly integrates fungal biodiversity and plant pathogens as essential but largely overlooked components of ecosystem functioning, resilience and early warning of biodiversity loss.

By incorporating macro- and microfungi—including edible, medicinal, mycorrhizal and pathogenic taxa—into biodiversity monitoring frameworks, the project will develop innovative indicators of ecosystem health that complement existing flora- and fauna-based approaches. Plant pathogens will be investigated as hidden drivers of biodiversity change, capable of altering species composition, weakening keystone plant populations and reshaping ecosystem processes, particularly under climate stress.

The project will place strong emphasis on biodiversity hotspots and underrepresented regions, with the Caucasus serving as a flagship case study alongside selected EU protected areas. Comparative analyses across different biogeographical regions, climatic gradients and management regimes will allow identification of vulnerabilities, resilience mechanisms and ecological thresholds beyond which protected areas may lose their conservation effectiveness.

An integrated methodological approach will combine field surveys, standardized monitoring protocols, fungal and pathogen diversity assessments, and the integration of ecological and climatic data. Stakeholder engagement with protected area managers and policy actors will ensure that scientific results are translated into actionable recommendations for adaptive management and policy development. Project outcomes will directly support the improvement of protected area management, contribute to EU biodiversity objectives, and strengthen preparedness for future biodiversity threats.

Indication of a possibly already existing (core) consortium

The envisaged consortium brings together European biodiversity and conservation research institutes, universities and protected area management authorities, with complementary expertise in ecology, mycology, plant pathology, conservation biology and biodiversity monitoring. Core partners have established links to protected areas in EU Member States and neighbouring regions, ensuring access to long-term field sites, historical datasets and management networks. The consortium is structured to integrate scientific excellence with applied conservation practice and policy relevance.