Ecological description and classification of some pine mushroom habitat in British Columbia

Abstract

This extension note summarizes the biology, traditional use, harvest method, and habitat of pine mushrooms in British Columbia and briefly discusses how information on habitat can be used to integrate important pine mushroom areas into timber harvest planning.

The pine mushroom (Tricholoma magnivelare) is the most economically important species of wild mushroom harvested from the forests of British Columbia. Various factors, including natural variability in annual mushroom productivity and the method of harvest, are thought to influence wild mushroom production, but few benchmark measurements of commercial mushroom productivity are available. Information is needed on the types of stands and ecosystems in which these mushrooms occur.

Soil, vegetation, and forests known to support commercial crops of pine mushrooms across the province are described. Forest subzone, elevation, slope, aspect, and landform all varied between study sites. In general, the soil, vegetation, and forest stand results indicate that submesic site series correlate well with commercial pine mushroom habitat.

The results of this study illustrate that pine mushroom habitat capable of producing commercial crops displays certain characteristics and that pine mushrooms do not grow randomly. We recommend that the information from this study be used to define, expand, and map commercial pine mushroom sites. Forest planners can then use these maps to integrate the harvest of pine mushrooms with timber production objectives. Also, certain forest management techniques may be used to enhance mushroom production while meeting some timber objectives. More research is needed to determine which techniques could be applied to North American forests.