Conservation of Mushrooms as a Non-Timber Forest Product of Economic Importance and their Benefits to Communities around the Bui National Park of Ghana

The primary forest of Ghana is dwindling fast due to over-exploitation of timber, mining, bushfires and agricultural activities and replaced by less diverse plantations of exotic species. This affects the diversity of fungi of economic importance which impacts negatively the livelihood and food security of fringe forest communities. Scientific data on diversity and status of species of birds, primates, mammals, and insects within several protected areas have been collected with little or no data on fungi. Knowledge on fungal genetic resource would raise awareness to biodiversity conservation in protected forests. It would also improve community adaptation to climate change by initiating alternative livelihood strategies as to the sustainable utilization of the resources.