Italian Mushrooms within Habitat Classification Systems
First Correlation among Mushroom Species, Habitat types and Land Cover in Italy
This manual on the alliance of mushrooms with habitats is the result of a special working group set up in 2006 by ISPRA’s Mushroom Special Project, within a long-term collaboration with the Bresadola Mycological Association (AMB).
It represents the first realization at the national level and the first tutorial in Europe to show what can be achieved by merging available mycological data with environmental ones on the territory of a member state.
The aim is to relate the available knowledge on environmental systems processed through all the different tools (CORINE Land Cover, CORINE Biotopes, Natura 2000, EUNIS) with AMB mapping and census data of mycological elements, accomplished throughout Italy by a scrupulous action of sample collection and taxonomical determination.
Moreover, it forms a basis for identifying euryoecious mushroom species, clustering the stenoecious ones, typical of specific habitats, those that should be placed under a system of preservation, and those that could be used as biological indicators.
It was possible, furthermore, to associate the information gathered by ISPRA’s Mushroom Special Project with the data provided by the "Chart of Nature" information system accomplished by ISPRA in accordance with Law no. 394/91 (Framework Law on Natural Protected Areas).
By using these tools, it will be also possible to analyze the species associations of soil, an essential compartment for the health of terrestrial habitats, and to manage it properly.
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