What the 2018 State of the World's Fungi report established
Kew's 2018 global report synthesized evidence on fungal diversity, evolution, ecological roles, uses and threats. It established a baseline for understanding fungal biodiversity and conservation challenges.
What the study did and found
State of the World's Fungi 2018 was published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and edited by Katherine J. Willis. This multi-author scientific synthesis reviewed fungal diversity, distribution, evolutionary relationships and ecological importance.
The report examined fungal classification, useful species, plant-fungal interactions, genomic research, plant diseases, climate responses and conservation.
Its principal conclusion was that fungi are exceptionally diverse, ecologically essential and economically valuable. However, substantial gaps remained in species discovery, classification, distribution records and conservation knowledge. Fungal pathogens and environmental change also presented significant ecological and agricultural challenges.
Why it is cited
The report serves as a reference for fungal diversity, ecosystem functions, biotechnology and conservation. Researchers cite it when discussing biodiversity estimates, fungal distributions, environmental threats and priorities for future research.
Its broad scope and chapter-level references make it particularly useful as a historical overview rather than evidence for a single experimental finding.
The report remains a valuable 2018 baseline, although fungal taxonomy, phylogenomics, species discovery and conservation assessments have advanced considerably.
Later research has expanded molecular datasets, genomic resources and biodiversity inventories, refining earlier estimates and classifications.
Kew continued its assessments through subsequent State of the World's Plants and Fungi publications, including the 2020, 2023 and 2026 editions. These reports address biodiversity threats, scientific knowledge gaps and emerging research methods.
Consequently, the 2018 findings remain historically relevant, while contemporary assessments provide more recent evidence for conservation planning and scientific decisions.
The topic today
Current fungal research increasingly combines molecular sequencing, specimen collections, ecological observations and digital biodiversity databases.
Major questions concern undiscovered species, geographic distributions, fungal interactions, climate responses and conservation priorities.
Kew's 2026 assessment highlights digital tools for improving biodiversity knowledge and identifying information gaps.
The 2018 report remains an important reference for understanding how fungal biodiversity research and conservation priorities have developed.