Those who think AI and conservation don’t mix are clearly not thinking outside of the box enough, unlike Prof. Dr Elisandro Ricardo Drechsler dos Santos whose focus is not just one species but all fungi growing in the forests of Brazil. 

A famous biodiversity hotspot, Brazil’s unique climate makes it the perfect place for fungal diversity. However, deforestation and urban development have pushed the kingdom into decline, with 60% of registered species listed as endangered on the INCU red list. 

With a grant from the MBZ fund, Prof. Dr Elisandro Ricardo Drechsler dos Santos and the MIND Funga Research Group put artificial intelligence to work, using gold-standard habitat suitability modeling (HSM) based on cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms to speed up fungal extinction risk assessments and get a better understanding of the situation at hand. Although his target subject was the critically endangered Bondarwezia longuerciae, he also used the model to run assessments across other fungi species.

With new data and a clearer picture of the status quo, the team has created an opportunity for all conservationists who can now focus their efforts on guiding conservation policies and the future of this peculiar kingdom in Brazil.