• Proposed
  • 2Under Assessment
  • 3Preliminary Assessed
  • 4Assessed
  • 5Published

Geastrum elegans Vittad.

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Scientific name
Geastrum elegans
Author
Vittad.
Common names
Elegant Earthstar
naveljordstjärna
IUCN Specialist Group
Mushroom, Bracket and Puffball
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Basidiomycota
Class
Agaricomycetes
Order
Geastrales
Family
Geastraceae
Assessment status
Proposed
Proposed by
Mikael Jeppson
Comments etc.
Mikael Jeppson

Assessment Notes

Taxonomic notes

Syn.: G. badium Pers; G. umbilicatum Fr.


Why suggested for a Global Red List Assessment?

Geastrum elegans is threatened by overgrowth of exposed grassland habitats due to abandoned grazing. Also human activities (road infrastructur, buildings etc) on its localities are detrimental. It is redlisted as EN in its core area in Europe. Suggested assessment VU-NT (A4, C1)


Geographic range

Geastrum elegans has a wide world distribution in temperate regions. It does not seem to have been recorded from Africa. It has been most frequently reported from Europe where it seems to have a stronghold.The Portugese record originates from Madeira. A Chinese record on GBIF database has ambiguous sequence data not matching the European species concept.


Population and Trends

Although widely distributed and with appr. 1400 records in the GBIF database
Population size   declining due to overgrowth (abandoned grazing) and exploitation of its main habitat, warm, open grazed grassland (historical and ongoing).

Known localities:  appr. 1000
Estimated number of localities: 2000
Estimated number of mature individuals: 20000

AOO: <700 km2

Population Trend: Decreasing


Habitat and Ecology

Saprotrophic species of exposed habitats on dry and warm calcareous grassland, sand dunes, steppe habitats, sometimes also in semi-open woodland and at forest edges. It needs a low and patchy field layer to produce its fruibodies.


Threats

Geastrum elegans is threatened by overgrowth of exposed grassland habitats due to abandoned grazing. Also human activities (road constructions, buildings etc) on its localities are detrimental.


Conservation Actions

Red-listed in Sweden (EN; D-crit.), Czech Republic (CR), Poland (proposed EN), Norway (xx); known localities for G. elegans need to be regularly monitored to get an overview of its current status.


Research needed


Use and Trade

None


Bibliography


Country occurrence

Regional Population and Trends

Country Trend Redlisted