Deforestation and Fungi

[ron1863]

I live next to a fairly large forest that consists mainly of Larch and Pine with some stands of deciduous trees. In the past several months a company has been cutting down and removing large sections of the forest. I have no idea if they will be replanting or not but in all probability they will replant with deciduous trees, something they have did in another area of the forest.

How will this affect the fungi growing there, will it kill or reduce the number of fungi or will the fungi survive if they replant similar specimens.

[NickCantle]

I tell you what Ron, I have no idea how it will directly affect the fungi life, but it's an amazing opportunity for you to monitor it and tell us

[ron1863]

Good thinking Batman

It was this forum that kindled my interest in fungi last year Nick but luckily I photographed many species growing in these woods and will be able to monitor if they are being affected.

[Nick_in_Scotland]

Originally Posted by ron1863

I live next to a fairly large forest that consists mainly of Larch and Pine with some stands of deciduous trees. In the past several months a company has been cutting down and removing large sections of the forest. I have no idea if they will be replanting or not but in all probability they will replant with deciduous trees, something they have did in another area of the forest.

How will this affect the fungi growing there, will it kill or reduce the number of fungi or will the fungi survive if they replant similar specimens.

Hi Ron,

I have witnessed a number of deforestations lately and can say that it seems to lead to a complete removal of fungi, apart from the ones which enjoy growing on fallen branches, dead trees, woody debris, etc. Also you'll probably see new species of these wood decomposing types (Sulphur tuft, other Hypholoma, Tubaria, Peziza, Orange Peel Fungus, etc). Furthermore it can be quite spectacular the number of these fungi which appear in this wood recycling operation. So you basically get an increase in numbers but a decrease in diversity, as far as I can see.

The same effects seem to happen when they thin out woodland by removing branches and leaving them on the forest floor to rot down. All the species you knew and loved disappear, to be replaced by the wood growing ones.

The clear felling of a forest is obviously a significant change to the habitat but in any case I have noticed over the years is that the fungus situation changes in a growing forest as it matures, even if no apparent human intervention occurs. I remember an interesting spruce plantation with many birches which supported a nice population of Orange Birch Boletus which gradually disappeared over the years (no, I wasn't eating them )

I don't pretend to know anything about forestry but I've got a feeling that these days they often just leave the woodland to regenerate spontaneously, presumably with all the cones which have fallen down previously, and fence it off to keep the deer from chomping the growing saplings away.

Nick.

[timhale197200]

Hi Ron. Deforestation is taking place up in Gisburn forest, next to stocks reservoir. It is rather a large forest and the spot where the cutting is going on is not a place i have looked for fungi, but this summer/autumn and over the coming seasons i will make a point of going in to have a look to see what is happening. There are many other fave spots in Gisburn for fly agaric, penny buns and russulas to keep me going, tho!! Tim.

[SheffieldLass]

Originally Posted by Nick_in_Scotland

I don't pretend to know anything about forestry but I've got a feeling that these days they often just leave the woodland to regenerate spontaneously, presumably with all the cones which have fallen down previously, and fence it off to keep the deer from chomping the growing saplings away.

Nick.

Around Sheffield they keep on altering their approach about what to do when they fell some of the mature coniferous plantations. Until very recently coniferous plantations were seen as very poor habitats, and there was a desire to take them out and then replant them with deciduous. But after some surveys were commissioned, their importance for a range of species has gained recognition (for birds in particular, which will lose the habitats that they have colonised over the last century) which has made them re-evaluate that approach. It appears that they are now doing selective planting of mixed coniferous and native deciduous (usually oak) combined with natural regeneration (which brings in plenty of birch, holly etc). Or in some cases allowing it to revert back to moorland, and not replanting, but allowing grazing to resume.

My impression locally is that woodland that is in a successional stage (i.e. birch regeneration, or ones that have had species like beech, chestnut, conifers etc planted in have much more fungi mass and diversity than the supposedly 'climax' woodland, the upland oakwoods, which may be centuries old, but seem to be quite poor for fungi at least in the fruiting stage. (Maybe they are comfortable in the soils etc, with no need for reproducing as their hosts are not going to disappear in a hurry, unless we get out the chainsaws? Whereas those that live on intermediate woodland stages which are time limited have to get on with it whilst their hosts are still there, to send their spores out to find new locations? Or is it that oak is pretty resistant to much harmful fungi, but has developed a good beneficial mycorrizal fungi that has made it a climax species??? I'm rambling again ... )

Anyway this presents us with interesting opportunities for observation.

Melanie

[ron1863]

Thanks everyone for the interesting information. I will keep an eye on the situation as the area they are clearing had large amounts of Fly Agaric, Boletus edulis, Russulas to name but a few.
They cleared large sections in previous years and have replanted with a mix of conifer and deciduous trees, mainly Oak, Beech, Rowan and Chestnut.

[Nick_in_Scotland]

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

Around Sheffield they keep on altering their approach about what to do when they fell some of the mature coniferous plantations. Until very recently coniferous plantations were seen as very poor habitats, and there was a desire to take them out and then replant them with deciduous. But after some surveys were commissioned, their importance for a range of species has gained recognition (for birds in particular, which will lose the habitats that they have colonised over the last century) which has made them re-evaluate that approach.

Yes, I've always been amazed at the diversity and quantity of species (in terms of fungi anyway) in coniferous plantations, especially spruce, despite repeatedly reading about how bad they are for nature. Add a few deciduous trees in a good spruce plantation and you've got the perfect recipe for many interesting damp autumn days with more mushrooms to study than are hours in the day. Luckily the conifers are of more economic importance which should surely guarantee the survival of this habitat, one would think.