Lao PDR is one of Asia’s most forested countries and supports some of the richest biodiversity within the region. Fungi are pivotal organisms in forest ecosystems but in Lao their functions and diversity are virtually unknown: they are absent from the Laotian National Biodiversity Strategy to 2020. This is despite the fact that fungi are widely collected for consumption and constitute a major income source in some regions. At present, Lao is unable to: determine its national mycota (and therefore realise its commitments to the CBD); carry out mycological research, and manage fungi sustainably due to a lack of trained mycologists. A clear demand was expressed by the Lao biological community for capacity building and training to fill this gap. This project addresses this demand using workshops, by establishing national reference collections and introducing basic molecular facilities and skills. A public awareness programme is planned to raise awareness concerning fungal poisonings. In collaboration with aid agencies, the ecological and economic importance of wild fungi harvesting is assessed in selected areas, with a special case study made of the potential overexploitation threat to the highly-prized Matsutake mushroom.
Links:
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development
[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs
[3] http://www.darwininitiative.org.uk/
[4] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/staff/andy-taylor
[5] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/projects/building-mycological-capacity-sustainable-resource-management-lao-pdr/workshop-may2015
[6] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/projects/building-mycological-capacity-sustainable-resource-management-lao-pdr/field-work-may2015