ABSTRACT
Altamira Cave is classified as a cave threatened by fungi. An inventory of the fungi present inside the cave was carried out between 2007 and 2009 in order to assess the potential threat for cave conservation. The fungi can be roughly grouped according to their origin as plant saprotrophs introduced into the cave through airborne spores, entomopathogenic fungi introduced by arthropods, coprophilous fungi growing on rodent faeces and soilborne fungi. The role of fungi as responsible for the outbreaks and the measures needed for their control are discussed.
