Fungi Watch 2007Did you find any of these fungi in your part of the UK during the 2007 season? If so, we need to know! We shall be repeating this Fungi Watch in 2008 so do check the Home Page for news. Valuable reports have been received from our 2006 Fungi Watch and are now helping to expand the vital records but we need records of 3 more endangered species for 2007. Please look out for these fungi. Click on one of the pictures below to get the full details: |
| Boletus Rhodopurpureus | Cantharellus Friesii | Cotylidia Pannosa |
|---|---|---|
| 
| 
|
|
We want you to look out this autumn for 3 very distinctive and at-risk fungi and tell us about it if you find them! Autumn 2007 may well be another bumper season. Whether fungi actually appear in any kind of quantity is always something of an annual lottery, but I have known seasons of sheer magic when the woodland floor has been carpeted so thickly that it's difficult to avoid stepping on fungi. This summer's incessant rain has at least bode well for fungi and they are emerging in abundance. Members of the public can perform a vital role in helping to safeguard their future because the underlying trend is of concern and many of the species are coming under threat for survival. |
Fungi right across the British Isles, as in much of Europe, are becoming increasingly vulnerable. The welfare and very sustainability of some species is now at risk and many are already fast disappearing because of loss of habitat, changing rural practices, intensive land management and over-picking. So why should we care? Not least it's because fungi are vital to the web of life in the countryside. Scientists are beginning to understand that the mushrooms and toadstools in our woodlands, fields and gardens are more than just rubbish-eaters and rather freaky oddities to be trampled down. Different species play an essential role in the welfare of native trees and other plants. Our appreciation of the mechanisms involved is still in its infancy, as is our picture of the range and distribution of many of the more rare species of fungi. | The situation is serious but it is also destined to improve and this is where members of the public can provide a vital input. During 2005 protection schemes known as Biodiversity Action Plans were proposed for 67 threatened or very rare UK species of fungi and each of us can help in making these plans effective by looking out for jut a few of them. In cooperation with other European organisations, the ABFG has developed a comprehensive reference CD of the threatened species including detailed descriptions, pictures and information about how often, where and when the species have previously been recorded. This reference guide has now also been posted in a modified form on this website and the CD is available by post. |