Data Mobilization and long-term conservation of Wild Edible Fungi (WEF) in Benin (Project 70030 JRS - University of Parakou) (part 2)

This dataset was developed within the project Data Mobilization and Long-term Conservation of Wild Edible Fungi (WEF) in Benin, coordinated by the Research Unit Tropical Mycology and Plants–Soil Fungi Interactions (MyTIPS) of the University of Parakou. The project aims to improve knowledge on the diversity, distribution, and conservation status of wild edible fungi in Benin through the mobilization, standardization, and publication of occurrence records.The resource brings together historical occurrence records from fungarium collections, published literature, and institutional databases, together with newly collected field observations obtained through systematic mycological surveys conducted between 2023 and 2025. Sampling covered the three main ecological zones of Benin, including protected forests and woodlands in the southern, central, and northern regions of the country. Each occurrence record is supported, whenever possible, by taxonomic identification, geographic coordinates, collection date, habitat information, collector details, and voucher specimens deposited in the Mycological Herbarium of the University of Parakou (UNIPAR).The dataset contributes to filling one of the largest biodiversity knowledge gaps in West Africa, where fungal diversity remains severely underrepresented in global biodiversity databases. It provides open-access occurrence data to support biodiversity research, species distribution modelling, conservation planning, sustainable management of wild edible fungi, and evidence-based policy development. The dataset also contributes to strengthening fungal biodiversity documentation in Benin and supports the integration of fungal conservation into national biodiversity strategies.