Cortinarius camptoros is an ectomycorrhizal fungus associated mainly with Abies alba, in mixed stands probably also with Picea abies. Its major habitat is montane, calcareous Abies- or Abies-Picea forests of C and S Europe, a forest type with many habitat-specific taxa of Cortinarius, subgenus Phlegmacium. 
The Phlegmacium-rich, calcareous Abies or mixed Abies-Picea-Fagus forests often occupies small and fragmented areas, and the habitat is subjective to habitat loss due to urbanization, lime quarries, shift in tree species (uniform Picea plantations) etc, and to decreased ecological conditions due to modern forestry (with clear-cuts). 

The species is known from ca 10 localities/sites in Europe and globally. The total population is estimated to approx. 125-150 localities, which is equivalent to approx. 2 500 - 3 000 mature individuals according to IUCN standards. According to the C criterion (C2 a(i)), the species becomes red-listed as VU, based on a continuous decline, population size <10 000 individuals and very small/isolated subpopulations.

Cortinarius camptoros is here treated in a strict sense, only covering the taxon associated with calcareous Abies-Picea forests. The name C. camptoros has also been used in a wider sense, including a taxon occurring e.g. in Tilia and Fagus forests (Brandrud & Melot 1983). The group is now under taxonomic revision.

Cortinarius camptoros is mainly distributed in the montane region of Abies alba-Picea abies forests of the Black Forest region of SW Germany, and the Austrian Prealps. It is also found in NE Pyrenées (Spain). Additionally there are finds from mixed Abies forests in French and Swiss Jura that fits the species in strict sense (but these are not sequenced). Although not verified with sequences, the finds from France and Switzerland appears very probable be the same taxon, hence included here The species seems to belong to a typical Abies alba or mixed Abies-Picea forest element, occurring together with typical Abies associates such as C. atrovirens and C. haasii. The species is distributed more or less within the natural Abies alba forest range, from the northernmost part of the range (Germany), to the southwesternmost (NE Spain), and east to E Austria. Probably the species occur also further east in Europe. The species is considered to be strictly European, the element of habitat-specific taxa of calcareous Abies alba forests is never found outside Europe.

Cortinarius camptoros is so far verified from sequence data only from a few collections from Black Forest, tw collections from eastern Prealps, Austria and one from the Pyrenées, NE Spain. A couple of finds from French and Swiss Jura very probably also belong here. The species in wide sense (including close frondose forest species) is characteristic and is probably not much overlooked. Based on this, C. camptoros in strict sense must be one of the rarer taxa of the calcareous Abies forest element. Base on present knowledge on distribution, the total population is estimated to approx. 125-150 sites/localities, which is equivalent to approx. 2 500-3 000 mature individuals, according to IUCN standards (Dahlberg & Mueller, 2011). If the species has a wider distribution, e.g. into the Carpathians, Balkan mountains and Caucasus, the population estimates should be increased somewhat.The mixed Abies alba forests have declined in Europe (especially the habitat quality), according to the European redlist of habitats, where the habitat is categorized as NT (Janssen et al. 2016). According to the C criterion (C2 a(i)), the species fullfills the criteria to be red-listed as VU, based on a continuous decline, population size <10 000 individuals and very small/isolated subpopulations.

Cortinarius camptoros is associated with montane calcareous, herb-rich, mossy Abies alba or Abies-Picea-Fagus forests, where it forms mycorrhiza with Abies alba, possibly also with Picea abies in areas with mixed Abies-Picea forests. The species is rather well-known from the mixed Abies alba forests of the limestone plateaus in Black-Forest-Baar region of SW Germany, from where it was also initially described (Brandrud & Melot 1983).
This habitat is a very rich hotspot for phlegmacioid, fleshy Cortinarius species, and C. camptotos regularly occur together with other species of the calcareous Abies forest element, such as C. atrovirens (NT), C. citrinoolivaceus (VU), C. haasii (VU), which all are included in the global redlist.

Cortinarius camptoros and its habitat (calcareous Abies(-Picea) forests) have been declining e.g. due to areal loss (urbanization, including tourist resorts, expansion of limestone quarries), shift from Abies stands to Picea plantations as well as decreased habitat quality/ecological conditions due to modern forestry with clear-cuttings (Janssen et al. 2016), as well as overgrazing of small plants by deer (Diaci 2011). Its major habitats; older calcareous Abies alba forests or calcareous mixed Abies alba-Picea abies forests are apparently declining in Central Europe, especially in eastern parts of its range, and Abies alba forests are regarded as NT on the European habitat redlist (Janssen et al. 2016). The decline is well-documented e.g. in Austria where montane basiphilous Abies-Picea forest are regarded as endangered habitats, vulnerable e.g. to forestry, with a doubling of annual felling last 40 years, according to forestry statistics (Austria). Furthermore, according Janssen et al. (2016), as well as own observations on calcareous sites, a number of Abies stand become planted with Picea after clear-cutting. The narrow bands of Abies forests in the Alp valleys may also be vulnerable to climate change and pest outbreaks. Many fir forests have been declining since 1980 due to air pollution, but recently also mixed with other factors such as deer overgrazing and climate stress. These negative influences are summarized e.g. in Diaci (2011).

To prevent decline and further fragmentation of calcareous Abies (-Picea) forests with good habitat quality, it is important to set aside reserves on calcareous hotspots, housing many rare/redlisted and habitat-specific species such as C. atrovirens, C. citrinoolivaceus, C. haasii and C. camptoros. It is also important to identify and establish sites where less strict conservation regime can be appropriate with customized extensive forestry that enable established mycorrhizal fungal species to survive.

More surveying and monitoring of C. camptoros are needed. Especially needed are more data on occurrences in the little studied calcareous Abies alba forests of the eastern Carpathians and the montane regions of Balkan.

No use or trade is known.

Brandrud, T.E. & Melot, J. 1983. Cortinarius camptoros et Cortinarius patibilis, deux Phlegmacium noveaux des forets de coniferes de la montagne. Bull.Soc.Mycol.France 99:220-237.
Diaci, J. 2011. Silver Fir Decline in Mixed Old-Growth Forests in Slovenia: an Interaction of Air Pollution, Changing Forest Matrix and Climate, [in:] Moldoveanu, A. (Ed.) Air Pollution - New Developments. InTech.
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