• Proposed
  • Under Assessment
  • Preliminary Assessed
  • VUAssessed
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Xeroceps skamania (Murrill) Audet

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Scientific name
Xeroceps skamania
Author
(Murrill) Audet
Common names
 
IUCN Specialist Group
Mushroom, Bracket and Puffball
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Basidiomycota
Class
Agaricomycetes
Order
Russulales
Family
Incertae sedis
Assessment status
Assessed
Preliminary Category
VU C2a(ii)
Proposed by
Jack Johnson
Assessors
Gregory Mueller
Contributors
Noah Siegel, Jack Johnson

Assessment Notes

Justification

Xeroceps skamania is only known 14 recrods ,13 from Skamania county in Washington and the Gifford Pinchot in Oregon plus one observation from northern California (inaturalist.org, mycoportal.org).  Several of these localities have been subjected to megafires while other sites are subject to negative changes in forest management.  Given the few number of sightings coupled with the loss of habitat, this is considered a rare species.  Even multiplying the number of confirmed records (inaturalist.org, mycoporta.org) x 500 times only gives a population size of 7,500, all occurring in one subpopulation.  Thus, precautionarily, the species is assessed as Vulnerable.


Taxonomic notes

Xeroceps skamanita (Murrill) Audet Mycotaxon 111: 453. 2010; Albatrellus skamanius (Murrill) Pouzar Ceska Mykol. 26:199. 1972; Polyporus skamanius (Murrill)- It is distinguished from Scutiger pes-caprae and S. ellisii on the basis of it’s color, cap texture, often clustered habit, and spore shape.
See https://www.speciesfungorum.org/Names/SynSpecies.asp?RecordID=511182


Why suggested for a Global Red List Assessment?

This species is known from just a few localities in Washington and Oregon. Of the few known localities, several have been subjected to megafires, and others are subject to modern forestry. The last record of X. skamania was from 2002, it has not been observed in 21 years.


Geographic range

Xeroceps skamania is only known from Skamania county in Washington and the Gifford Pinchot in Oregon (mycoportal.org).


Population and Trends

The species is known from 13 records from only a few localities in Washington and Oregon plus one iNaturalist observation from northern California (gbif.org, iNaturalist.org, mycoportal.org, all queried December 2024). Several of these localities have been subjected to megafires while other sites are subject to negative changes in forest management.  Given the few number of sightings coupled with the loss of habitat, this is considered a rare species.  Even multiplying the number of confirmed records (inaturalist.org, mycoporta.org) x 500 times only gives a population size of 7,500, all occurring in one subpopulation.

Population Trend: Decreasing


Habitat and Ecology

This species forms ectomycorrhizas with conifers, so a loss of associated trees negatively impacts the population of the fungus.

Temperate Forest

Threats

Logging and megafires have occured in known localities.

Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest]Increase in fire frequency/intensity

Conservation Actions

Protection and appropriate management of known sites and sites where the species could potentially occur.

Site/area protectionSite/area management

Research needed

Field surveys followed by DNA sequencing of specimens found are needed to document the species population size and trends as well as its habitat preferences and ecology.

TaxonomyPopulation size, distribution & trendsLife history & ecology

Use and Trade


Bibliography

gbif.org (queried Dec 2024)

inaturalist.org (queried Dec 2024)

mycoportal.org (queried Dec 2024).

Species Fungorum https://www.speciesfungorum.org/Names/SynSpecies.asp?RecordID=511182


Country occurrence

Regional Population and Trends

Country Trend Redlisted