Macrofungi as ecosystem resources: Conservation versus exploitation

Fungi are organisms of significant importance not only for the crucial roles they undertake in nature but also for many humanactivities that are strictly dependent on them. Indeed, fungi possess fundamental positions in ecosystems functioningincluding nutrient cycles and wood decomposition. As concerns human-related activities, edible and non-edible mushroomsare also involved and/or exploited in forestry, pharmaceutical industry and food production; hence, nowadays they representa major economic source worldwide. In order to maintain and improve their strategic importance, several conservationstrategies, such as habitat preservation, are needed. This article reports several contributions inherent to the relationshipsbetween wood-decaying fungi, edible and non-edible mushrooms and their potential exploitation as non-timber forestproducts and genetic resources.