Key to the 1. Boletus spp. 2. Lactarius spp. 3. Inocybe spp. 4. Tricholoma magnivelare camou- Front flaged by maple leaf. 5. Sparassis crispa. 6. Hypholoma spp. 7. Strobilurus trullisatus. Editors DAVID PILZ is a botanist and RANDY MOLINA is a research botanist and mycology team leader, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 3200 Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR 97331. Managing Forest Ecosystems to Conserve Fungus Diversity and Sustain Wild Mushroom Harvests David Pilz and Randy Molina, Editors Ecosystem Management of Forest Fungi: Inventory, Monitoring, and Biodiversity Assessment LaSells Stewart Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon May 3-4, 1994 U. S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station Portland, Oregon General Technical Report PNW-GTR-371 May 1996 Abstract Pilz, D.; Molina, R., eds. 1996. Managing forest ecosystems to conserve fungus diversity and sustain wild mushroom harvests. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-371. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 104 p. Ecosystem management is the dominant paradigm for managing the forests of the Pacific Northwest. It integrates biological, ecological, geophysical, and silvicultural information to develop adaptive management practices that conserve biological diver- sity and maintain ecosystem functioning while meeting human needs for the sustain- able production of forest products. Fungi are important components of forest ecosys- tem management because they perform essential ecological functions, many species are associated with late-successional forests, and commercial harvest of wild edible mushrooms contributes significantly to the regional economy. Inventory and monitoring provide essential information for improving management decisions, but fungi present a unique set of sampling challenges. To address these unique challenges, a conference entitled "Ecosystem Management of Forest Fungi" was convened May 3-4, 1994, in Corvallis, Oregon. This publication describes the forest management context of fungus inventory and monitoring issues, summarizes the mycological studies presented at the conference, and provides a synopsis of audience discussion. A common understanding of the challenges encountered when studying forest fungi will facilitate the planning and accomplishment of inventory and monitoring activities by improving communication among concerned individuals, interest groups, and land managers. Keywords: Fungi, mushrooms, ecosystem management, forest management, inven- tory, monitoring, biodiversity, special forest products, mycorrhizae. Introduction The Pacific Northwest (a geographical region encompassing southeast Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana, and northern California) has long been recognized for its rich mycota (fungus biota), particularly the macrofungi that produce large, showy, fleshy sporocarps (fruiting bodies of mushrooms, truffles, conks, puffballs, and cup fungi). Much of that richness is directly related to the region's expansive forest communities, diverse weather patterns, and numerous tree species. Forest tree species form beneficial root symbioses (called mycorrhizae) with specialized fungi, and this factor contributes significantly to the diversity of fungi in the Pacific Northwest. Indeed, many of the mushrooms seen on the forest floor during late summer and autumn are the reproductive structures of mycorrhizal fungi that obtain their carbohydrate nutrition via the roots of host trees. The wood of live and dead trees and the abundance of other organic debris on the forest floor provide rich resources for numerous saprobic (decomposer) and parasitic fungi. Fungi also feature prominently in the complex forest food web, providing sustenance for organisms from microbes to mammals. These four major roles of fungi-mutualisms (especially mycorrhizal), nutrient cycling, pathogenesis, and food web resource–are cornerstones in the dynamic functioning of forest ecosystems, contributing to overall resiliency and diversity. If we are to succeed at managing forest ecosystems in their entirety, we must integrate the biological and functional diversity of forest fungi into future management plans. Over the last decade, the extensive commercial harvest of several species of edible, forest mushrooms has heightened awareness and concern for forest fungi by both the public and resource managers. Schlosser and Blatner (1995) estimate that wild mushroom harvests contributed approximately $40 million to the economies of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho in 1992. Along with the economic benefits, however, came conflicts between recreational and commercial mushroom harvesters, and concerns about the potential overharvest of wild mushrooms and the impact of mushroom harvesting on forest ecosystems. Public outcry in the region led to enactment of 1 legislation to regulate the commercial harvest of wild mushrooms on public lands in Washington (Washington State House Bill 2865, 1992) followed shortly by similar legislation in Oregon (Oregon State House Bill 2865, 1993). Since then, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, and U.S. Department of the Interior (USDI), Bureau of Land Management, have implemented permit systems for commercial and recreational harvest of wild forest mushrooms as one of several "special forest products." Users of the resource claimed that the regulations were arbitrary and based on little factual data regarding sustainability of the wild mushroom harvest. A lack of knowledge regarding the biology and ecology of these unique forest organisms contributed to this controversy. The nature of the commercial industry was likewise a mystery. Users and managers disagreed on how best to manage and regulate the mushroom resource given the lack of harvest impact data. To bring interested parties together for sharing information, the Forest Service and Oregon State University sponsored a regional workshop in Springfield, Oregon, in November 1991 titled "Biology and management of wild, edible mushrooms in Pacific Northwest ecosystems"; over 300 attended. The objectives were to educate managers on the biology and ecology of forest fungi (particularly the commercially harvested species), discuss the social and economic issues of the commercial harvest, provide a forum for sharing concerns, and develop an information network for future mycological collaboration. Molina and others (1993) synthesized the findings of that workshop and set the groundwork for long-term regional management and monitoring of commercially harvested fungi. The enactment of President Clinton's forest plan for the Pacific Northwestern United States, as detailed in the Forest Ecosystem Management Assessment Team (FEMAT) report (1993), provided new urgency for integrating forest fungi into the new ecosystem management paradigm. Five hundred and twenty-seven fungus species were identified as rare or old-growth-forest dependent and, therefore, potentially in need of protection under the regional plan. The viability of these species was evaluated as part of nine management alternatives. The final record of decision (USDA and USDI 1994) listed 234 fungus species as requiring immediate attention under the four survey -and-manage strategies of the plan. Among the eight groups of organisms listed (fungi, lichens, bryophytes, amphibians, mammals, mollusks, vascular plants, and arthropods), fungi was the largest. Two fungus species received the highest protected status; surveys for these organisms must be conducted before any new ground disturbance. Surveys and management of known sites for listed organisms must begin in 1995, and long-range plans call for regionwide mycological surveys over the next 10 years. The record of decision also emphasizes the need to manage and monitor special forest product species, such as edible mushrooms, within the emerging regional plan. The FEMAT guidelines mandate an unprecedented study of fungi in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Although FEMAT specifically addresses forests within the range of the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina ) in the United States, the surveys it mandates have added impetus to fungus studies throughout the geographical region. Professional mycologists and forest managers are concerned about the availability of knowledge and skilled individuals to conduct the fungus surveys and develop monitor- 2 ing programs. We organized the workshop, "Ecosystem Management of Forest Fungi," to begin meeting these urgent training needs. Our primary objectives were to: • Review the fundamental ecological roles of fungi in forest ecosystems • Discuss concepts of biological diversity and conservation for forest fungi • Discuss the ecology, productivity, and sustainability of commercially harvested forest fungi • Discuss challenges and specific procedures for assessing fungus diversity and productivity • Provide an update on current, relevant mycological research in the Pacific Northwest • Provide opportunities to coordinate regional FEMAT-related surveys and monitoring activities • Develop an ecosystem management and long-term monitoring framework for forest fungi The workshop focused on mycorrhizal and some saprobic fungi because these groups encompass the valuable commercial species and those listed in the record of decision. Pathogens received only limited discussion and microfungi, none. This publication documents the main presentations of the workshop and summarizes many of the issues. The first two