Further advice onarranging fungal recordingcan be obtained from:

The Conservation Officer British Mycological Society,Joseph Banks Building,Royal Botanic Gardens,Kew, Surrey TW9 3AE

Association of British Fungus GroupsHarveys, Alston,Near Axminster,Devon EX13 7LG

Further advice on managinggrasslands for fungi can beobtained from:

Countryside Council for WalesEden House, Ithon Road,Llandrindod Wells,Powys LD1 6AS

English NatureNorthminster House,Peterborough PE1 1UAAdditional information isavailable on www.english-nature.org.uk/science/botany/pdf/FUNGI_INFO_NOTE.PDF

Environment Heritage ServiceCommonwealth House,35 Castle Street,Belfast BT1 1GU

Scottish Natural Heritage2 Anderson Place,Edinburgh EH6 5NP

Further copies of thisleaflet are available from:

Plantlife14 Rollestone Street, Salisbury,Wiltshire SP1 1DXenquiries@plantlife.org.uk

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The Fungus Conservation Forum, administered by Plantlife (www.plantlife.org.uk), is a partnership

of organisations and individuals who are actively involved in the conservation of fungi.The Forum

exists to coordinate, promote and take action for the conservation of fungi in Britain and Ireland.

Above: A waxcap-rich pasture

Front cover: Dark purple Leptonia Leptonia nigroviolacea

T H E F U N G U S C O N S E R V A T I O N F O R U M

Grassland gems:managing lawns andpastures for fungi

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'mycelium' beneath the ground.This means thateven when you cannot see the fruitbodies, thefungi are still an integral and sensitive part ofany grassland, so their needs should be takeninto account all year round.

Below are some tips that will help you ensurethat grassland fungi are well looked after if youhave them on your land:

In order to look after grassland fungiplease remember:

· To keep your grassland well grazed or mown

so that the turf is short. Remove clippings

wherever possible. Regular cutting does not

appear to damage the fungi below ground, but

if you want to see what you have, cut less in

Autumn to allow fruiting

· To maintain existing field drainage systems

where appropriate

· That fertilisers damage grassland fungi and

should be avoided if possible

· To try and avoid the use of fungicides or use

them sparingly, as they may inadvertently kill

useful fungi or fungi you never intended to

control

· To avoid using moss killers since these fungi

may form intimate relationships with mosses

and may even depend on them

· To avoid lime or apply it with caution since it

may damage fungi

· To encourage fungal recording on your land.

Contact the British Mycological Society or

Association of British Fungus Groups for more

information and a contact in your local

recording group

· To seek advice from the organisations listed

overleaf if you're still unsure of what is best for

the fungi on your land

· To keep up the good work if you already

have a variety of fungi present on your grassland!

A flower rich grassland is a sight to behold, butgrasslands may also play host to a rich varietyof colourful fungi, such as the waxcaps, namedbecause of their shiny, waxy or sticky caps.

These attractive fungi, ranging in colour frompink and red to yellow and green are sostriking that such grasslands can be called afterthe fungi themselves and are known as'waxcap-grasslands'. Other characteristicgrassland fungi include the unusual and delicatefairy clubs, pink gilled entolomas and bizarreearth tongues that resemble sticks of liquoriceemerging from the ground.

Grasslands that do not support a great diversityof flowering plants may still be rich in fungi, sodon't discount sites that appear to be dull onfirst inspection. Churchyards, lawns and parkswhere the sward is kept shortly mown orgrazed can be particularly important forgrassland fungi. Pastures and common land thatis regularly grazed can also provide suitableconditions.

Grasslands rich in these fungi are a declininghabitat throughout Europe due to acombination of agricultural intensification onthe one hand and lack of management leadingto reversion to scrub on the other. In fact, theUnited Kingdom is a particularly importantplace for grassland fungi. For example, the UKBiodiversity Action Plan listed pink waxcap or'ballerina' may be more common in the UKthan anywhere else in the world and several ofour 'waxcap-grasslands' are thought to be ofEuropean significance.

The best grassland fungi sites:· Are often well drained · Have a short turf · Are poor in nutrients and usually unfertilised · Often have plenty of moss present · Are not necessarily rich in flowering plants

Fungal fruiting bodies usually emerge in theautumn, but fungi are present in grasslandsthroughout the year, existing for the most partas a vast network of minute tubes or

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The Fungus Conservation Forum

Pink waxcap Hygrocybe calyptriformis

Crimson waxcap Hygrocybe punicea

An earth tongueMicroglossum olivaceum

A violaceous fairy club Clavaria zollingeri

A yellow waxcap Hygrocybe chlorophana

The Fungus Conservation Forum

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