O.O. Predtechenskaya, A.V. Ruokolainen, V.I. Shubin Fungi in the last Red data book of Republic of Karelia (2007)

Forest Research Institute of Karelian Research Centre Russian Academy of Sciences

As a results of study of mycobiota in Karelia started in the late 1930th the rare and protection required species of fungi were established. Forest Research Institute investigates fungi in Karelia from 1952. Republic of Karelia is a relatively prosperous region for the environment state, because many of indicator species of old-growth are found in almost all regions. However, Karelia is a region of intensive logging, and the situation can change quickly if these activities are not controlled. The Red Data Book of Karelia (1995) included only 23 species of fungi. But the latest edition of the Red Data Book of the Republic of Karelia (2007) includes 2 species of Ascomycetes, 20 species of Agarics and 39 species of Aphyllophorales fungi, many species indicate the expansion of their distribution. Over the past 20 years in Karelia the first discovering were made for Amanita virosa, Boletus badius, Calvatia gigantea, Craterellus lutescens, Geastrum triplex, Gyroporus cyanescens, Mutinus caninus, Mutinus ravenelii, Phaeolepiota aurea. Almost all of these species were met in the southern areas, likely because of global warming.
The additional and ongoing studies need for clarify the status of fungi in different parts of republic. The problem of the fungi protection is also relevant. The conditions for protection of fungi provided in protected areas only. At the same time most of Aphyllophorales associated with old-growth forests and deadwood. Identification of areas with stable fruiting of fungi and organization the long-term observations of the successive changes in the fungi biota need for the scientific foundations for preservation of gene pool of rare and endangered species.
The work was performed as part of state task of FRI KRC RAS (project "Mycobiota and entomofauna in forest communities in Eastern Fennoscandia at different stages of anthropogenic (postlogging) succession") and supported in part by a grant RSF № 15-14-10023.