Assessment Notes

Justification

Dryodon suberis is a North African bracket fungus, described for Algeria and Morocco. Only three sites have been recorded in total and its last record was in 1946. It is possible that this may be a very rare species, but targeted searching efforts are needed to clarify current population size, distribution and trends; especially given the wide geographic spread of the three records. Without further data, it is plausible that the species could fall into any category from Least Concern to Critically Endangered. Therefore, this species is assessed as Data Deficient (DD).

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Taxonomic notes

Dryodon suberis is the only remaining species in the monotypic genus Dryodon (Index Fungorum 2022).

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Geographic range

Dryodon suberis has been found in North Africa in Algeria (La Reghaia and Djebel Forest, 'Gourrah' sic. [assumed to be the forest at Jebel Ghorra, here]) and Morocco (Maâmora Forest) (Malençon 1952).

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Population and Trends

This species is known exclusively from its original description, from three different sites in Algeria and Morocco (found in La Reghaia in 1920, in the Maâmora Forest in 1935, and in Djebel Forest in 1946) (Malençon 1952), but no records have been made since. Given the lack of more current records, its population size and trends are unknown.

Population Trend: unknown

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Habitat and Ecology

Dryodon suberis was found in oak forests, on dead branches and fallen trunks of Quercus suber. Its fruiting bodies are solitary, sessile and grow to up to 12 cm in size, with a tooth-like spine hymenium (Malençon 1952).

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Threats

The population decline of Quercus suber (Barstow and Harvey-Brown 2017) could present a threat to subpopulations of Dryodon suberis. Oak forests in North Africa are also increasingly exposed to overgrazing due the increase in human population in the region and are threatened by the increase in temperatures, drought and wild fire frequency and intensity in the Mediterranean region caused by climate change (FAO and Plan Bleu 2018).

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Conservation Actions

An increase in survey efforts is needed to clarify the population size of Dryodon suberis. Its taxonomic placement should also be confirmed, given that this is the only remaining species in the genus, while others have been moved to other taxa.

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Source and Citation

Gonçalves, S.C. & P. Cunha, S. 2023. Dryodon suberis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T238745525A238802399. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T238745525A238802399.en .Accessed on 19 January 2024

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• Country occurrence