Rewilding the Planet!


And the importance of biotrophic fungi Britt A. Bunyard


Abstract This essay introduces the global rewilding movement and examines five major models shaping its practice today. Through examples ranging from American Prairie’s grassland connectivity work to European trophic rewilding, closed-system herbivore experiments, continental wildlife corridors, and Indigenous-led restoration, it explores how different cultures and


landscapes interpret the idea of returning ecological processes to self-willed function. It also considers the often-overlooked role of fungi in rewilding, showing how mycorrhizal networks, decomposers, and fungal ecologists contribute to ecological recovery. Together, these models reveal the diversity, ambition, and evolving philosophy of rewilding in a rapidly changing world.


Summer 2026 FUNGI Volume 19:2 25


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