Assessment Notes

Justification

This is a widespread species which appears to be quite common but restricted to white sand forests along the Guyana Shield. Although these are very special and vulnerable ecosystems, any population declines are not likely to be steep enough to trigger a threatened category. It is, therefore, assessed as Least Concern.

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Geographic range

This species occurs in white sand forests along the Guyana Shield, including the Brazilian Amazon, Venezuela, Colombia, Guyana and French Guiana. It has been also reported from restinga vegetation in the Atlantic rainforest in the northeast and south of Brazil.

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Population and Trends

This species only occurs on specific vegetation types related with humic mats or white-sand soils, and is only visible for a short period of time during the rainy season (forming basidiomes for a month or less). When it occurs, the number of individuals is usually large.

Population Trend: Unknown

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Habitat and Ecology

It grows in small to large numbers in humic mats or in white sand soils in Dicymbe and Aldina (Fabaceae) dominated forests in the Guyana Shield and in restinga vegetation, in sandy soils, possibly associated with Nyctaginaceae and Polygonaceae.

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Threats

Threats include deforestation, burning, mining and real estate speculation. Those have different intensities related with the country. The forest loss in Guyana and French Guiana is less than 1.1% by deforestation and 1.4% due mainly to gold mining, respectively since 2000. In Colombia and Brazil, this rate is higher, losing up to 15% of tree cover since 2000 due to deforestation, burning, mining and real estate speculation (World Resources Institute 2024).

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Conservation Actions

Many sites where this species is found in the Amazonian region in Brazil and Colombia are protected areas, such as national parks. However, the protected areas are under constant attack by owners of adjacent land, real estate agencies, deforestation, mining and fire. In addition, Brazilian restinga forests are threatened by deforestation and strong fragmentation. Actions for conservation must include political action against changes in the status of protected areas and a better management of these areas. Additionally, better taxonomic and phylogenetic understanding of this taxon is needed, so we can understand its biogeography/distribution. Also, a better understanding of the plant symbionts, especially in the restinga, and their distribution would help to estimate this species' distribution.

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Use and Trade

This is an edible mushroom that is not yet highly consumed in any communities or by locals, but it has potential to be commercialised by locals and sold as an edible wild mushroom.

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Source and Citation

Neves, M.A., Cardoso, J.S. & Vasco Palacios, A.M. 2025. Cantharellus guyanensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T172740593A265918861. Accessed on 22 November 2025.

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• Country occurrence