Increased evapotranspiration demand in a Mediterranean climate might cause a decline in fungal yields under global warming

Wild Edible Mushrooms of Jharkhand: Nutrient-Dense Seasonal Foods to Improve Dietary Diversity among Indigenous Communities

Wild edible mushrooms can contribute to dietary diversity, especially among undernourished indigenous communities. A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted to document the availability, taxonomic classification, nutritive values, and consumption frequency of wild mushrooms in four indigenous communities of Jharkhand. Over 70 wild mushrooms were reported during free listing with 35 being regularly consumed during the monsoon season, foraged from wild habitats, including forests and open spaces (roadsides and wastelands). We confirmed the taxonomic identification for sixteen mushrooms. The mushrooms identified belonged to mycorrhizal, termitophilic and saprobic species. Nutritive values were assessed through laboratory analysis (n=8) and secondary review (n=3). Most mushrooms contained significant amounts of proteins (Amanita hemibapha, Russula delica, and Termitomyces heimii), iron and total dietary fibre (Termitomyces and Astraeus). Household consumption patterns revealed once-to-twice-a-week household consumption (30-60%). Thus, identifying approaches to increase consumption, like strategies for local propagation and education about wild mushrooms, could help in leveraging their nutritional potential.

Ecological niche modeling of Lactarius deliciosus using kuenm R package: Insights into habitat preferences

Understanding species habitat preferences is essential for conservation and management efforts, as it enables the identification of areas with a higher likelihood of species presence. Lactarius deliciosus (L.) Gray, an economically important edible mushroom, is influenced by various environmental variables, yet information regarding its ecological niche remains elusive. Therefore, in this study, we aim to address this gap by modeling the fundamental niche of L. deliciosus. Specifically, we explore its distribution patterns in response to large-scale environmental factors, including long-term temperature averages and topography. We employed 242 presence-only georeferenced points in Europe obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Utilizing the Kuenm R package, we constructed 210 models incorporating five sets of environmental variables, 14 regularization multiplier values, and three feature class combinations. Evaluation metrics included statistical significance, predictive power, and model complexity. The final model was transferred to Turkiye, with careful consideration of extrapolation risk using MESS (multivariate similarity surface) and MoD (most dissimilar variable) metrics. In alignment with all three evaluation criteria, the algorithm implemented in Kuenm identified the best model as the linear-quadratic combination with a regularization multiplier of 0.2, based on variables selected by the contribution importance method. Results underscore temperature-related variables as critical determinants of L. deliciosus habitat preferences within the calibration area, with solar radiation also playing a significant role in the final model. These results underscored the effectiveness of ecological niche modeling (ENM) in understanding how climatic patterns may alter the distribution of species like L. deliciosus. The findings contribute to the development of informed conservation strategies and decision-making in dynamic environments. Emphasizing a comprehensive approach to ecological modeling is crucial for promoting sustainable forest management.

Spatially-explicit effects of small-scale clear-cutting on soil fungal communities in Pinus sylvestris stands

Clear-cutting is a common silvicultural practice. Although temporal changes in the soil fungal community after clear-cutting have been widely investigated, little is known about stand-level variations in the spatial distribution of soil fungi, particularly at the clear-cut edge. We performed spatial soil sampling in three clear-cuts (0.5 ha), edge habitats, and surrounding forests 8 years after clear-cutting to examine the impact of clear-cutting on the soil fungal community (diversity, composition, guilds, and biomass) and soil properties in a managed Pinus sylvestris forest in northern Spain. Our analyses showed small differences in the composition of the soil fungal community between edge, forest, and clear-cut zones, with <4 % of the species strictly associated with one or two zones. The richness, diversity, and evenness of the fungal community in the edge zone was not significantly different to that in the forest or clear-cut zones, although the clear-cut core had approximately a third fewer ectomycorrhizal species than the edge or the forest. Saprotrophic fungi were widespread across the clear-cut-forest gradient. Soil fungal biomass varied significantly between zones, ranging from 4 to 5 mg g-1 dry soil in the forest and at the forest edge to 1.7 mg g-1 dry soil in the clear-cut area. Soil organic matter, pH, nitrogen, and phosphorus did not differ significantly between edge, forest, and clear-cutting zones and were not significantly related to the fungal community composition. Overall, our study showed that small-scale clear-cut treatments are optimal to guarantee, in the medium-term, soil fungal communities within harvested areas and at the forest edge that are comparable to soil fungal communities in the forest, even though the amount of fungal biomass in the clear-cut zone is lower than at the forest edge or in the forest.

Ecosystem services provision by Mediterranean forests will be compromised above 2℃ warming

Forests provide a wide range of provisioning, regulating and cultural services of great value to societies across the Mediterranean basin. In this study, we reviewed the scientific literature of the last 30 years to quantify the magnitude of projected changes in ecosystem services provision by Mediterranean forests under IPCC climate change scenarios. We classified the scenarios according to the temperature threshold of 2℃ set by the Paris Agreement (below or above). The review of 78 studies shows that climate change will lead to a general reduction in the provision of regulating services (e.g. carbon storage, regulation of freshwater quantity and quality) and a general increase in the number of fires, burnt areas and generally, an increase in climate-related forest hazards (median + 62% by 2100). Studies using scenarios above the 2℃ threshold projected significantly more negative changes in regulating services than studies using scenarios below this threshold. Main projected trend changes on material services (e.g. wood products), were less clear and depended on (i) whether or not the studies considered the interaction between the rise in temperatures and other drivers (e.g. forest management, CO₂ fertilization) and (ii) differences in productivity responses across the tree species evaluated. Overall, the reviewed studies projected significant reductions in range extent and habitat suitability for the most drought-sensitive forest species (e.g. -88% Fagus sylvatica), while the amount of habitat available for more drought-tolerant species will remain stable or increase; however, the magnitude of projected change for these more xeric species was limited when high-end extreme climatic scenarios were considered (above Paris Agreement). Our review highlights the benefits that climate change mitigation (to keep global mean temperature increase <2℃) can bring in terms of service provision and conservation of Mediterranean forests.

Edaphic and temporal patterns of Tuber melanosporum fruitbody traits and effect of localised peat-based amendment

In Tuber melanosporum cultivation, fruitbody traits are gaining relevance due to their increasing prominence on prices. We investigated the edaphic and temporal patterns of fruitbody traits and characterised the effect of truffle nests (localised peat-based amendment supplemented with T. melanosporum spores) on traits. We monitored fruitbody traits throughout two fruiting seasons in three blocks along a soil gradient. Each trait followed specific edaphic and temporal patterns. The number of fruitbodies per dig and spore maturity followed characteristic within-season trends, whereas fruitbody weight and infestation by truffle beetles were subject to complex interactions among edaphic and temporal variables, suggesting a relevant influence of annual environmental conditions. The application of truffle nests increased fruitbody depth, improved its shape and decreased infestation by truffle beetles. Nests increased the number of fruitbodies per dig, but only in two of the soils, suggesting a relevant role of the bulk soil/substrate interface in fruiting initiation. These results outline a complex scenario, with each trait being differently affected by environmental factors. In this scenario, nests proved to effectively modify several traits, although not always in the desired direction.

Predicting Mushroom Productivity from Long-Term Field-Data Series in Mediterranean Pinus pinaster Ait. Forests in the Context of Climate Change

Long-term field-data series were used to fit a mushroom productivity model. Simulations enabled us to predict the consequences of management and climate scenarios on potential mushroom productivity. Mushrooms play an important ecological and economic role in forest ecosystems. Human interest in collecting mushrooms for self-consumption is also increasing, giving forests added value for providing recreational services. Pinus pinaster Ait. is a western Mediterranean species of great economic and ecological value. Over 7.5% of the total European distribution of the species is found on the Castilian Plateau in central Spain, where a great variety of mushrooms can be harvested. The aim of this study was to model and simulate mushroom productivity in Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) ecosystems in northern Spain under different silvicultural and climatic scenarios. A mixed model was fitted that related total mushroom productivity to stand and weather variables. The model was uploaded to the SiManFor platform to study the effect of different silvicultural and climatic scenarios on mushroom productivity. The selected independent variables in the model were the ratio between stand basal area and density as a stand management indicator, along with precipitation and average temperatures for September and November. The simulation results also showed that silviculture had a positive impact on mushroom productivity, which was higher in scenarios with moderate and high thinning intensities. The impact was highly positive in wetter scenarios, though only slightly positive and negative responses were observed in hotter and drier scenarios, respectively. Silviculture had a positive impact on mushroom productivity, especially in wetter scenarios. Precipitation had greater influence than temperature on total mushroom productivity in Maritime pine stands. The results of this paper will enable forest managers to develop optimal management approaches for P. pinaster forests that integrate Non-Wood Forest Products resources.

Climatic and Socioeconomic Aspects of Mushrooms: The Case of Spain

Fungi are some of the most diverse organisms on earth and since prehistoric times have played an important role in human society. In recent years they have become a strategic asset not only in the conservation and management of ecosystems but also as a resource for halting the exodus from rural areas in peripheral Mediterranean regions, such as inland eastern Spain. In view of this important ecological and socioeconomic role, in this paper we present a geographical analysis of edible fungi, paying particular attention to the Spanish case. To this end we carried out a bibliographic review of the climatic factors affecting the fruiting of these fungi and the socioeconomic aspects of their commercial exploitation. We also performed an online search for mycotourism-related activities and explored the statistical data on the cultivation of edible mushrooms and its economic impact. Our main findings include a synthesis of the international research on the effects of climatic variability on the natural production of macrofungi, and an assessment of the economic viability and the social importance of mushrooms in Spain, in particular in relation to the current and future potential of mushroom cultivation and the multifunctional management and use of forests.

Poor plant performance under simulated climate change is linked to mycorrhizal responses in a semiarid shrubland

Warmer and drier conditions associated with ongoing climate change will increase abiotic stress for plants and mycorrhizal fungi in drylands worldwide, thereby potentially reducing vegetation cover and productivity and increasing the risk of land degradation and desertification. Rhizosphere microbial interactions and feedbacks are critical processes that could either mitigate or aggravate the vulnerability of dryland vegetation to forecasted climate change.We conducted a four-year manipulative study in a semiarid shrubland in the Iberian Peninsula to assess the effects of warming (~2.5ºC; W), rainfall reduction (~30%; RR) and their combination (W+RR) on the performance of native shrubs (Helianthemum squamatum) and their associated mycorrhizal fungi.Warming (W and W+RR) decreased the net photosynthetic rates of H. squamatum shrubs by ~31% despite concurrent increases in stomatal conductance (~33%), leading to sharp decreases (~50%) in water use efficiency. Warming also advanced growth phenology, decreased leaf nitrogen and phosphorus contents per unit area, reduced shoot biomass production by ~36% and decreased survival during a dry year in both W and W+RR plants. Plants under RR showed more moderate decreases (~10-20%) in photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and shoot growth.Warming, RR and W+RR altered ectomycorrhizal fungal (EMF) community structure and drastically reduced the relative abundance of EMF sequences obtained by high-throughput sequencing, a response associated with decreases in the leaf nitrogen, phosphorus and dry matter contents of their host plants. In contrast to EMF, the community structure and relative sequence abundances of other non-mycorrhizal fungal guilds were not significantly affected by the climate manipulation treatments.Synthesis: Our findings highlight the vulnerability of both native plants and their symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi to climate warming and drying in semiarid shrublands, and point to the importance of a deeper understanding of plant-soil feedbacks to predict dryland vegetation responses to forecasted aridification. The interdependent responses of plants and ectomycorrhizal fungi to warming and rainfall reduction may lead to a detrimental feedback loop on vegetation productivity and nutrient pool size, which could amplify the adverse impacts of forecasted climate change on ecosystem functioning in EMF-dominated drylands.

Mushroom biomass and diversity are driven by different spatio-temporal scales along Mediterranean elevation gradients

Mushrooms are important non-wood-forest-products in many Mediterranean ecosystems, being highly vulnerable to climate change. However, the ecological scales of variation of mushroom productivity and diversity, and climate dependence has been usually overlooked due to a lack of available data. We determined the spatio-temporal variability of epigeous sporocarps and the climatic factors driving their fruiting to plan future sustainable management of wild mushrooms production. We collected fruiting bodies in Pinus sylvestris stands along an elevation gradient for 8 consecutive years. Overall, sporocarp biomass was mainly dependent on inter-annual variations, whereas richness was more spatial-scale dependent. Elevation was not significant, but there were clear elevational differences in biomass and richness patterns between ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic guilds. The main driver of variation was late-summer-early-autumn precipitation. Thus, different scale processes (inter-annual vs. spatial-scale) drive sporocarp biomass and diversity patterns; temporal effects for biomass and ectomycorrhizal fungi vs. spatial scale for diversity and saprotrophic fungi. The significant role of precipitation across fungal guilds and spatio-temporal scales indicates that it is a limiting resource controlling sporocarp production and diversity in Mediterranean regions. The high spatial and temporal variability of mushrooms emphasize the need for long-term datasets of multiple spatial points to effectively characterize fungal fruiting patterns.