Randy Molina is a retired research scientist with the U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, where he led the forest mycology team on issues of fungal ecology, ecosystem function, conservation, and management. He owns a mycological consulting business and is Adjunct Full Professor of Forest Science at Oregon State University.
Some ecosystem management plans established by state and federal agencies have begun to shift their focus away from single-species conservation to a broader goal of protecting a wide range of flora and fauna, including species whose numbers are scarce or about which there is little scientific understanding. To date, these efforts have proved extremely costly and complex to implement.