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

Mycocalia sphagneti J.T. Palmer

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Scientific name
Mycocalia sphagneti
Author
J.T. Palmer
Common names
Bog Cannon
IUCN Specialist Group
Mushroom, Bracket and Puffball
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Basidiomycota
Class
Agaricomycetes
Order
Agaricales
Family
Agaricaceae
Assessment status
Proposed
Proposed by
Mikael Jeppson
Comments etc.
Mikael Jeppson

Assessment Notes

Taxonomic notes


Why suggested for a Global Red List Assessment?

A small and inconspicuous birds’ nest fungus growing on plant debris and rotting wood, on the ground in humid moorland and i humid forests. Only known from 4 local areas in the UK and in Sweden= fragmentation
Its habitats are abundant but it seems nevertheless to be rare.
Potential occurrences in forests are threatened by forestry (clear-cutting) - historical and ongoing process.
Suggested assessment: EN-VU (B2) - “dark occurrences” must be taken into account when finally assessing this species.


Geographic range

Known from four local areas in the UK (Derbyshire 1963; Hampshire 1991) and Sweden (Västergtötland 1976; Medelpad 2014) respectively.
Small and inconspicuous species and easily overlooked. Nevertheless seems to be rare with < 10 recorded localities in 50 years.


Population and Trends

Small and fragmented population (rare but potentially overlooked)

Estimated number of localities: 100
Estimated number of mature individuals: 2000

Historical and ongoing decrease in suitable forest localities ( forestry, clear cutting).

Population Trend:


Habitat and Ecology

Saprorophic species on humid plant debris (eg Juncus effusus, decaying leaves etc)  and on moist wood in open moors as well as in rather young humid oligotrophic woodland with Betula, Salix, Picea and along streams in an old-growth spruce forest. .


Threats

Small known population (AOO: 28 km2) restricted to Sweden and Great Britain. Most likely underrecorded in other parts of Europe.
The British records (on open moors) are protected (New Forest National Park, and Derbyshire Moor’s National Park). In Sweden, the northernmost locality is under protection (nature reserve) but the southernmost location (unprotected) was clear-cut around 2015.

Forestry (clear-cutting) is an historical and ongoing threat.


Conservation Actions

Dedicated discovery missions will be needed to get better knowledge of this rare but clearly underrecorded fungus.


Research needed


Use and Trade


Bibliography


Country occurrence

Regional Population and Trends

Country Trend Redlisted