Chronione grzyby porażające pomnikowe drzewa – konflikt gatunkowej i indywidualnej ochrony przyrody

The paper presents the taxonomic status of fungi and species abundance of fungi and fungus-like organisms occurring in Poland. It provides the history of species conservation and discusses the level of threat posed to fungi. Tree nature monuments with particular emphasis put on old trees, as well as fungal species under the strict and partial legal protection that may inhabit such trees have also been characterized. The paper describes an ideological conflict concerning nature conservation that may arise in connection with the infestation of protected monument trees by fungi also protected by law. Although there is no legal conflict as regards the elimination of protected fungal species from monument trees, the practice shows that it is difficult to obtain permission for such actions in regional directorates of environmental protection. This is (wrongly) explained by the lack of derogations from the destruction of some fungal species and their habitats.