- Proposed
- Under Assessment
- Preliminary Assessed
- Assessed
- ENPublished
Guepiniopsis fulva Deliv.
- Scientific name
- Guepiniopsis fulva
- Author
- Deliv.
- Common names
- IUCN Specialist Group
Mushroom, Bracket and Puffball- Kingdom
- Fungi
- Phylum
- Basidiomycota
- Class
- Dacrymycetes
- Order
- Dacrymycetales
- Family
- Dacrymycetaceae
- Assessment status
- Published
- Assessment date
- 2023-07-20
- IUCN Red List Category
- EN
- IUCN Red List Criteria
- D
- Assessors
- Perini, C., Svetasheva, T., Ainsworth, A.M., Gonçalves, S.C. & Theodorou, O.
- Reviewers
- Westrip, J.R.S.
Assessment Notes
Justification
Guepiniopsis fulva, a small fungus characterized by disk-shaped to cupulate, often sessile, fruiting bodies of fulvous colours, observed on dead decorticated wood of beech on Zygourolivado mountain, in central Greece. The European beech (Fagus sylvatica) reaches here in the Balkan peninsula, the southern limit of its distribution, and faces a drought limitation. Climate change scenarios (IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007) predict changes in rainfall and temperature, which will negatively alter the water balance within given vegetation areas (Xystrakis 2009). This can affect the populations of Fagus sylvatica at its drought limitation by reducing both its reproductive capacity (Gessier et al. 2007) and the vitality of mature individuals (Jump et al. 2006). Recent studies support these findings, as various climate scenarios project a decline of beech forests in southern Europe (Martínez del Castillo et al. 2022). Moreover, in an inventory, one of the lowest volume of deadwood in beech forest was reported in the forests of Greece (0.7 m3 per ha) (UNECE/FAO 2000). The fungal species, up to now not found elsewhere, can be considered strictly linked to this substrate together to this environmental variables. Considering the above factors, there is a potential alteration of the fungus' habitat, but further research is needed. We can consider Guepiniopsis fulva endemic to Greece and due to its very restricted population. The population size is also estimated to be very small (<250 mature individuals), and so the species also qualifies as Endangered under criterion D, and overall the species is assessed as Endangered.Geographic range
Guepiniopsis fulva appears to be endemic to the Zygourolivado mountain, in central Greece. It was described in 2012, and since then only found in the same unique locality.
Population and Trends
Guepiniopsis fulva is currently known from one locality implying that this fungus is rare and relatively restricted in range. The limited number of records, from only one site also suggests a very small population size. The total number of trees that it occurs on is unlikely to exceed 125, and so the total population size is estimated to number < 250 mature individuals (see Dahlberg and Mueller 2011). Because it was described fairly recently (Delivorias et al. 2012), it is not attainable to assess the population trend.
Population Trend: unknown
Habitat and Ecology
The species appears to be wood-decaying, specifically associated with dead wood of Fagus sylvatica. It has been recorted on Zygourolivado mountain (alt. 1,550 m), in a forest of Fagus sylvatica, where European beech reaches the southernmost point of its distribution in the Balkan peninsula and faces a drought limitation. Further research to see if it occurs in association with any other species would be beneficial.
Threats
Despite the favourable conservation status of the beech forest in the area, a past inventory recorded one of the lowest volumes of deadwood in beech forests in Greece (0.7 m3 per ha) (UNECE/FAO 2000), mainly due to silvicultural treatment and management operations. However, it isn't known if the threat is directly impacting the only known site of this species yet.
Additionally, the area of occupancy of Guepiniopsis fulva coincides with the southernmost point of the European beech's distribution in the Balkan Peninsula. Climate change scenarios (IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007) predict changes in rainfall and temperature that will negatively impact the water balance within these vegetation areas (Xystrakis 2009). This could potentially affect the populations of Fagus sylvatica at the southern range-edge of its distribution by reducing the growth of adult trees (Jump et al. 2006). Furthermore, beech might lose its dominance and growing potential compared to drought or flooding-tolerant species (Gessler et al. 2007). Recent studies support these findings, as various climate scenarios project a decline of beech forests in southern Europe (Martínez del Castillo et al. 2022). Considering the above factors, there is a potential alteration of the fungus' habitat.
