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

Geastrum xerophilum Long

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Scientific name
Geastrum xerophilum
Author
Long
Common names
 
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


Why suggested for a Global Red List Assessment?

Rare species of dry and warm steppe habitats, currently known < 100 localities in the Americas and southern and central Europe.
AOO: < 100 km2
Estimated number of mature individuals: 4000
Historical and ongoing decline of habitats is supposed to cause population decrease in Europe. Situation in the Americas is unclear.

Suggested assessment: Europe: VU (A4)?: N. % S. America: ?DD

 


Geographic range

Species originally described from New Mexico, later reported from Arizona Idaho, Colorado, Hawaii (USA), Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora, Moreelos), Argentina,  Brazil (Rio Grande do Norte). In 2001 first European record (Spain, Almería), recently recorded also from a number of localities in central Hungary and Bulgaria.


Population and Trends

Small population with stronghold in western USA. Rare records in Central Europe but might have been overlooked in the Pannonian sand steppe vegetation.
< 75 localities known

AOO < 100 km2
estimated number of localities: 200
Estimated number of mature individuals: 4000

Europe:
Historical and ongoing decline caused by forestation or transfer of steppe grassland to arable land.
Habitat decline as grazing is abandoned in dry grasslands.
Desertification due to global warming.
The Spanish locality has been revisited on several occasions during the last 20 years but the fungus has not been rediscovered.

N & S America?

Population Trend: Decreasing


Habitat and Ecology

Saproptrohic, xerothermophilous species in xeric and sandy environments. In Europe in goat-grazed Mediterranean dry steppe vegegation, in Central/eastern Europe in calcareous grazed sand steppe habitats with scattered Juniper.


Threats

Small population.
Overgrowth if grazing in abandoned.
Transfer of steppe grasslands to arable land
Forestation
Desertification


Conservation Actions

Dedicated discovery missions in dry steppic areas in East central Europe. Monitoring of known localities in the Americas. .


Research needed


Use and Trade


Bibliography


Country occurrence

Regional Population and Trends

Country Trend Redlisted