Is silviculture able to enhance wild forest mushroom resources? Current knowledge and future perspectives

Abstract

Fungal fruit-bodies are an important economic resource both for recreational pickers and commercial markets. The broad interest in forest fungi and mushrooms has motivated attempts to develop appropriate silvicultural methods able to preserve and improve mushroom yields. Defining best practices for the sustainability and profitability of forest fungal resources is the main aim of 'mycosilviculture'. However, the difficulty of monitoring and studying such a cryptic kingdom (i.e., fungi) under real forest conditions has led to rather scattered scientific knowledge of the effects of forest management regimes and silvicultural operations on wild mushroom resources. Here, we review the current scientific literature regarding the influence of (i) stand characteristics, i.e. stand age, stand density, canopy cover and tree species composition, (ii) silvicultural practices and (iii) other management-related disturbances affecting the yield of wild epigeous mushrooms, with the aim of systematizing existing scientific knowledge and identifying gaps in knowledge in order to suggest 2 future lines of research. Most of the research in the field of mycosilviculture to date has focused on ectomycorrhizal mushrooms, which include the majority of wild commercial mushrooms. The main findings from the literature indicate that forest management practices, by modifying stand characteristics and microclimatic conditions, can influence wild mushroom occurrence and productivity, both positively and negatively, depending on the specific fungal ecological needs, reproductive strategies, forest type and management regime. Further research efforts relating to all aspects of the interaction between forest management, fungal ecology and mushroom production are needed: in particular, additional research efforts should be devoted to understanding mushroom yield dynamics in uneven-aged and mixed forests and evaluating the effects of regeneration methods on fungal communities.

Fire‐induced deforestation in drought‐prone Mediterranean forests: drivers and unknowns from leaves to communities

“…Moreover, even low severity prescribed burning could have negative longlasting impacts on the ectomycorrhizal community (Taudi ere et al 2017). However, currently only a limited number of studies have assessed fire effects on mycorrhizae, hindering synthesis at the time of writing, but available evidence indicates a negative effect of elevated fire recurrence (Taudi ere et al 2017, Tomao et al 2017.…”

The availability and supply of marketed mushrooms in Eastern Finland

“…The stand volume increment is peaking at the same time as the marketed mushroom yields of this study (Vuokila and Väliaho 1980). Similarly, it has been pointed out in several earlier studies that the yields of mycorrhizal mushrooms are high at the younger stands, where tree growth is also good (Senn-Irlet and Bieri 1999;Smith et al 2002;Bonet et al 2008;Egli et al 2010;Tomao et al 2017). Sporocarp production has also been found to be higher in young stands (20-30 years) in Finland (Hintikka 1988) and Estonia (Kalamees and Silver 1988).…”

“…The reactions of mushroom yields to thinnings on the other hand depend on numerous factors, e.g., thinning intensity, tree species composition and stand age (Tomao et al 2017). For example, in a study of Canadian Tsuga heterophylla and Thuja plicata stands, the response of ectomycorrhizal mushroom production after partial cuttings was studied, and the yields reacted differently depending on the stand structure and tree vigor after stand management operations (Kranabetter and Kroeger 2001).…”

Comparing Thinning System Effects on Ecosystem Services Provision in Artificial Black Pine (Pinus nigra J. F. Arnold) Forests

“…The results of the present study are comparable with other studies investigating the effects of silvicultural systems on understory plant diversity, including species composition, structural attributes and functional organization. Studies demonstrated that, in general, the species pool was higher for selectively cut areas, and a high proportion of light reaching the forest floor induced the spread of light-demanding species and the detriment of true forest species [15,58].…”