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 silvicutural information to develop adaptive management practices that conserve biological diversity and maintain ecosystem functioning while meeting human needs for the sustainable production of forest products. Fungi are important components of forest ecosystem 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, inventory, monitoring, biodiversity, special forest products, mycorrhizae