Conservation and management of natural populations of edible fungi

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Abstract
The importance of private and commercial harvest of wild edible mushrooms in Europe and North America is briefly outlined. Possible negative effects of harvesting on the production of sporocarps are discussed. There is no evidence that picking of mushrooms is harmful for subsequent fruiting, except in some cases where mycelia are destroyed. Changes in frequency of edible mushrooms in Europe are described with special emphasis on The Netherlands. The occurrence of edible species on Red Lists of threatened fungi in Europe is discussed. The decline of many ectomycorrhizal species is supposed to be mainly caused by environmental pollution. Relations between harvesting of edible mushrooms, forest management and nature conservation are indicated. Key words: edible mushrooms, mushroom picking, decline of fungi, forest management.