Threatened species of Polyporaceae

Habitat loss and pollution are the greatest threat to polypoaceae. Many species such as Ganoderma lucidum are harvested for medicinal properties.

Polypores are the primary forest recyclers. They typically inhabit living or dead trees, slowly converting them back to the basic nutrients needed to fertilize living forest trees. The polypore is so called because its underside is covered by many pores which produce the spores.