BAP/Red Data List - Lip service conservation?

[cybershot]

After discussion with Nick about Phaeolepiota aurea - Golden Bootleg and other such species categorized as worthy of special conservation measures and included in BAP/Red Data Lists, and being unsure of my arguments, I started some research to find out both the extent of this select group and the action to be taken on encountering them. I can't say in these early days of my none-to-easy investigation I am any the wiser except for a couple of surprising facts which may or may not be currently accurate:

1. Phaeolepiota aurea does not appear either on ABFG's 67 strong list of UK Provisional BAP Species or amongst the 46 species of Fungi (non lichenised) in the BAP New Priority List. ('New' as of when?)

Association of British Fungus Groups
NewPriorityList

2. An article about the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) on Kew's website is illustrated by Hygrocybe calyptriformis - Pink Waxcap / Pink Meadow Cap which I discovered is now included in a list of the Rejected UK BAP species (because it is "more common than originally thought") alongside Boletus satanas - Devil's Bolete ("Targets met")

http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/scihort/dir...iConsImpt.html

I know the assimilation and interpretation of the data creates an ever changing scenario, but my own experience in encountering numerous similar species including Phellondon niger - Black Tooth (BAP) and Arrhenia chlorocyanea - Verdigris Navel (RDL), leaves a big question mark in my mind regarding the accuracy and currency of the data steering these conservation projects and whether or not we are merely paying lip service to their aims.

Apologies for throwing a perennial hot chestnut on to the table but I would be grateful if anyone could steer me in the direction of more current information and assurance than indicated by the above links. Maybe then I can prevent myself repeating the misdemeanor of inadvertently partially uprooting a BAP species for ID purposes, and assuage my frustration of feeling that the UK mycological fraternity is all talk and no action in this respect.

I welcome your views.

Cheers

David

[NickCantle]

It's all above my head too. Where do you go to find out about updates to the list, or additions for that matter? The ABFG website displays three key species for that are in desperate need of preservation (though I can't remember what they are right now ((A boletus and a Cantharellus in there I think)). I've got dried specimens of Phaolepiota aurea at home in my 'herbarium' but I don't really know what to do with them. I plan to keep one as an addition to my own voucher material, but will the association really benefit if I send the voucher material down? My find is still not a record (don't get me wrong, I've not submitted it anywhere) but I wouldn't know where to submit it- it's really not clear unless you're a big part of an association and you have a foray leader as enthusiastic as yourself, which sometimes they're not

So where do we go for such information on BAP and RDL species and who do we report it to, send material to, etc...

I'm sure if I was deeper involved then I would know who to speak to and how to go about it, but I'm not as involved as I could be, and that's due to petty squabbling between so called 'professional' organisations. I'm sure a few of you can relate...

Rant over, but I'd still like to be find out where I can enter my info so that I know for sure it's going to be used and used properly. It takes a great deal more effort and a different mindset to go out foraying specifically for recording. It's tempting to just go for a walk without the notepad, and I often do now.

Nick

[flaxton]

Whatever our feelings are for the two squabbling children that represent the fungal community in the UK we should be giving them our support. An unreported find is of no use to anyone except the finder.
One of the driving forces for the foundation of the ABFG was the lack of progress on this very topic. The BMS had been promising an update to the Red Data List for quite some time but it never seemed to get any closer. Whatever your feelings about ABFG they are pushing forward with information on their selected fungi. As Mikonik said the determination of the rarity of a fungus is extremely subjective but if the WAB community don't register their finds somewhere then we are doing our favourite pastime a great disservice.

So go out there find, identify, confirm if necessary and then register the find with your chosen group.

Mal

[CapAndBracket]

That sounds an excellent course to take, as a relative novice i send my
records to the ABFG, and assume that if i didn't then nothing would be
recorded for this area, no doubt mal can think of a dozen sites in his area
that don't get looked at (same as here). The big problem for fungi is the
small number of people looking (i imagine a purple parakeete couldn't cross
the coastline without starting a twitchers stampede). anything i can't id
dosen't get recorded.

As for raraties, i wonder if someone could run a query on the ABFG database,
to produce a list of the say 20 species that were recorded the least number
of times last year, this would give some idea of what are about but we have
to be lucky to find (and where in the country they were found).

Cheers J.P.

[SheffieldLass]

About the Hygrocybe calyptriformis I think it was chosen because it is very easy to recognise, well unmistakeable, and chosen more as an indicator of important unimproved grasslands. In a way it is the unimproved grassland habitat with all its species that is the really important thing that needs to be preserved, in particular lowland unimproved grasslands. One dressing of fertiliser with fungicide can wipe out a flora that has developed over centuries.

Also that species are originally chosen then later rejected does show that we are still gaining knowledge on many of these things. If by highlighting certain species as BAP species because current knowledge suggests they are rare, and this then brings greater recognition and recording of these species that subsequently overturns earlier knowledge, that is no bad thing. Just shows we are making progress in an understudied area.

At least here in Yorkshire we have Chris who is doing a sterling job as county recorder! Also locally we have in Sheffield the Sorby Natural History Society who record fungi. And a good Ecology Unit as part of Sheffield Council, who drew up the local BAP plans. So they are always interested to know where there are 'hotspots' for BAP species.

Also there is a whole raft of different conservation strategies/plans, BAP species list is just one way of prioritising conservation action.

At Anston Stones they have been amazed how quickly a field which has for many years been intensively used for cereal crops but recently was left to return to grassland has been recolonised by orchids etc, partly from seed in the ground but also because it is adjacent to a very species rich unimproved grassland area. This was not expected, and has provided useful knowledge. So we are all learning from conservation projects. What is needed is proper scientific monitoring of conservation projects so that conservation methods can be properly evaluated for their effectiveness; some is being done, but not enough. This was something that was discussed when we looked at a local heathland which has had grazing reintroduced, in line with current conservation practice methods for heathland. There they have fenced off some areas and have a project to systematically monitor the differences between the grazed and non-grazed areas to properly evaluate the effects of grazing on the heathland ecology.

One of my reasons for focussing on Hygrocybe and other grassland fungi is because of their vulnerable/threatened habitat. I have to admit, trying to understand the broader ecology is the thing that really does get my toes wriggling, and fungi is just a part of that, but a very important part.

Melanie

[SheffieldLass]

P.S.

One of the difficulties in submitting records of fungi is being confident enough in ones identification of them .. not an easy task as we know!

Melanie

[kiltoncomp]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

That sounds an excellent course to take, as a relative novice i send my
records to the ABFG, and assume that if i didn't then nothing would be
recorded for this area, no doubt mal can think of a dozen sites in his area
that don't get looked at (same as here). The big problem for fungi is the
small number of people looking (i imagine a purple parakeete couldn't cross
the coastline without starting a twitchers stampede). anything i can't id
dosen't get recorded.

As for raraties, i wonder if someone could run a query on the ABFG database,
to produce a list of the say 20 species that were recorded the least number
of times last year, this would give some idea of what are about but we have
to be lucky to find (and where in the country they were found).

Cheers J.P.

the Nottinghamshire Fungi Group have some tables on their website that list the following,with locations / numbers etc,
the most commonly recorded species
the most widespread species
the most uncommon species
and the newly recorded species
(all tables relate to Nottinghamshire finds only, so not much help for the rest of the uk,)

http://fungus.org.uk/Notts.Fungi.Group/

[cybershot]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

As for raraties, i wonder if someone could run a query on the ABFG database,
to produce a list of the say 20 species that were recorded the least number
of times last year, this would give some idea of what are about but we have
to be lucky to find (and where in the country they were found).
Cheers J.P.

Alphabetically the first 30 with only 1 record each are:

Acrospermum compressum Urtica dioica stem dead parkland
30/03/2008 Wiltshire (north)

Agaricus altipes Prunus spinosa soil & leaf litter unimproved grassland
04/02/2008 Gloucestershire (east)

Agaricus cappellianus Aesculus hippocastanum grassy soil urban
16/09/2008 Oxfordshire (west)

Agaricus devoniensis Poaceae sand sand dune
02/11/2008 Sutherland (west)

Agaricus osecanus Pinus niger soil & leaf litter plantation mixed
02/07/2008 Gloucestershire (west)

Agaricus placomyces soil woodland mixed
23/10/2008 Devon south

Agaricus urinascens var. urinascens grassy soil parkland
21/10/2008 Herefordshire

Agrocybe vervacti Gramineae grassy soil woodland broadleaf
13/04/2008 Gloucestershire (east)

Amanita strobiliformis Betula sp. soil grass verge
05/09/2008 Devon (south)

Amanita submembranacea Pinus sylvestris soil plantation coniferous
11/10/2008 Caithness

Amphiporthe leiphaemia Quercus robur twig fal plantation mixed
13/01/2008 Gloucestershire (west)

Antrodia albida Fagus sylvatica wood decort moorland
03/09/2008 Devon (north)

Antrodia ramentacea Pinus sp stump plantation coniferous + heath 20/04/2008 Dorset

Antrodia serialis Larix sp. branch fal woodland mixed
06/04/2008 Gloucestershire (east)

Antrodia xantha Angiosperm trunk fal woodland broadleaf
14/09/2008 Gloucestershire (east)

Arcyria affinis Fagus sylvatica wood rotted woodland broadleaf
02/11/2008 Gloucestershire (east)

Arcyria minuta Fagus sylvatica leaf fal plantation mixed
21/09/2008 Wiltshire (north)

Arcyria pomiformis Quercus robur trunk fal woodland broadleaf
11/05/2008 Wiltshire (south)

Arrhenia acerosa grassy bank grassland pasture
13/11/2008 Devon (south)

Arrhenia chlorocyanea Polytrichum moss mossy soil mixed woodland
10/02/2008 Hampshire north

Arrhenia lobata Gramineae soil mossy grassland disturbed
09/11/2008 Wiltshire (north)

Arrhenia obscurata Gramineae grassy soil grassland disturbed
09/11/2008 Wiltshire (north)

Arrhenia retiruga moss (name?) woodland clearing
28/10/2008 Dorset

Arrhenia spathulata Lichen leaf living plantation mixed
13/01/2008 Gloucestershire (west)

Ascobolus stercorarius dung marsh
29/06/2008 Berkshire

Ascochyta plantaginis Plantago major leaf living woodland mixed
26/08/2008 Gloucestershire (east)

Ascochyta trifolii Trifolium sp. leaf living grassland
13/09/2008 Gloucestershire (east)

Asteroma impressum Tussilago farfara leaf living plantation mixed
08/11/2008 Gloucestershire (east)

Asterophora parasitica Fungus - agaric (Russula nigricans) woodland coniferous
22/10/2008 Herefordshire

Aulographina eucalypti
30/07/2008 Cornwall (east)

Aureobasidium microstictum Polygonatum multiflorum leaf living woodland broadleaf
11/05/2008 Wiltshire (south)

[cybershot]

P.S.

The comparative BMS database would be more useful purely because of sheer numbers of records, but haven't got a hope in hell of doing a similar quick trawl.

Cheers

David

[flaxton]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

T

As for raraties, i wonder if someone could run a query on the ABFG database,
to produce a list of the say 20 species that were recorded the least number
of times last year, this would give some idea of what are about but we have
to be lucky to find (and where in the country they were found).

Cheers J.P.

JP
What about species not recorded at all. I have a couple that are not listed this year but probably not because they are rare but because so few people look for tiiiiiiiiny Mycena.

Mal