Scientists call for action to protect ‘waxcap’ grasslands

Wales has some of the most scientifically important and diverse habitats for grassland fungi in the world according to researchers at Aberystwyth University.
Writing in the latest edition of the journal Mycosphere, an international team led by Dr Gareth Griffith from IBERS (Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences) also reports the discovery of a new species of mushroom previously unknown to science, and another 13 species that had not been previously recorded in Britain.
Mushroom-forming fungi are generally associated with woodland habitats but the grassy meadows and hills of north-western Europe are home to around 400 species, with intriguing names such as waxcaps, fairy clubs and earth tongues.
However, increased intensification of agriculture over the past 75 years has meant that most of the low nutrient grasslands required by these fungi have been destroyed through ploughing and land improvement.
Dr Griffith and his team recorded the presence and abundance of fungi at 48 grassland sites in all parts of Wales, from Flintshire and Anglesey in the north to Pembrokeshire and Monmouth in the south.
Comparison of their data with information from other areas in Europe and beyond showed that several of the best sites for grassland fungi in Europe and most of the best sites in the UK are in Wales.
These sites are found across Wales, from Llanuwchllyn in Gwynedd to Mynydd Epynt in Powys and Llanishen in Cardiff, and several are now protected as SSSIs (sites of special scientific interest).
Dr Griffith and colleagues hope that publication of this study will lead to wider public recognition of the global significance of these Welsh habitats and fungi in general to biodiversity conservation.
“Most conservation efforts are focused on animals and plants, with many biologists having little appreciation that other living organisms also require protection from habitat loss”, he said.
Dr Griffith also believes that the hilly Welsh terrain has an important role to play in the survival of these fungal-rich areas.
“The abundance of these fungi may be down to that fact that much of Welsh hill land is not accessible to mechanised agriculture, so the soil itself has remained undisturbed”, he added.
However, the study has also revealed that the grassland fungi may have an unexpected ally. They thrive where the grass is kept short, a task performed with meticulous precision by unusually high sheep populations found in Wales.
The study has been funded by the Countryside Council for Wales (now part of Natural Resources Wales) and NERC, Natural Environment Research Council.
The article entitled “The international conservation importance of Welsh 'waxcap' grasslands” is Open Access and available free at http://mycosphere.org/pdfs/MC4_5_No10.pdf.

“The international conservation importance of Welsh ‘waxcap’ grasslands” http://mycosphere.org/pdfs/MC4_5_No10.pdf

Abstract
The large decline in plant and animal diversity of semi-natural grasslands resulting from the introduction of modern agricultural practices in the 1940’s has been well documented and such changes are also suspected of causing the decline in the abundance and diversity of macrofungi in these habitats. We conducted repeated surveys at 48 selected grassland sites around Wales to record the presence and abundance of fruitbodies (FBs) of grassland macrofungi belonging to the taxa Clavariaceae, Hygrocybe, Entoloma, Geoglossaceae, Dermoloma (also Porpoloma and Camarophyllopsis spp.) which are grouped collectively as “CHEGD” fungi (acronym of group names) and considered typical of nutrient poor ‘waxcap’ grasslands. A total of 111 CHEGD species (of the ca. 200 species previously found in UK/Ireland) were recorded. That these included onespecies unknown to science, 14 new to Wales including two new to the UK attests to the extent of past under-recording. Phenological differences in fruiting were found between Entoloma and Hygrocybe spp., and patterns of occurrence at the sites correlated well with numbers of records from the Fungal Records Database of Britain and Ireland. The recent post-glacial history and high human population densities have generally resulted in lower levels of biological diversity in northwestern Europe than in other parts of the world. Compared with current data from other European countries and globally, Welsh grasslands host particularly diverse macrofungal communities, yet the organisms continue to attract little attention from mainstream conservation bodies, whilst much conservation effort is lavished on species which are relatively common elsewhere.

Waxcaps
Waxcaps are the most distinctive and visible components of the grassland fungi. These are the brightly coloured and sometimes shiny mushrooms of the genus Hygrocybe, commonly seen in the Autumn.
The most distinctive and visible component of the grassland mycota are the waxcap fungi, belonging to the genus Hygrocybe. Members of this genus typically possess brightly coloured pilei which are often conferred as a 'shiny' appearance by the presence of a glutinous surface layer.
Some 60 species of Hygrocybe occur in Europe most commonly in Western and Northern regions (Boertmann, 1995). In Europe there is a strong association between Hygrocybe spp. and grassland habitats, though some species notably H. viola and H. quieta frequently occur in woodlands.
To find out more, go to http://www.aber.ac.uk/waxcap/index.shtml

IBERS
The Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) is an internationally recognised research and teaching centre providing a unique base for research in response to global challenges such as food security, bioenergy and sustainability, and the impacts of climate change. IBERS scientists conduct basic, strategic and applied research from genes and molecules to organisms and the environment.
IBERS receives strategic research funding from the BBSRC to support long term mission driven research, and is a member of the National Institutes of Bioscience. IBERS also benefits from financial support from the Welsh Government, DEFRA and the European Union.
With 360 members of staff, IBERS is the largest Institute within Aberystwyth University, teaching 1350 undergraduate students and more than 150 postgraduate students, and is home to the National Plant Phenomics Centre, and the BEACON Centre of Excellence for Biorefining - a £20 million partnership between Aberystwyth Bangor and Swansea Universities.