FORTY-two fungi enthusiasts, newcomers as well as experts and aged from eight to the 80s, spent the last weekend of June searching for fungi in Augusta’s West Bay bushland.
They came from Perth and many centres in the South West.
The area (187 hectares) comprises the Donovan Street bushland and an eastern outlier of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park.
The program was organised by the Perth Urban Bushland Fungi group.
The workshop was based at the Augusta Historical Society (Inc)’s Hall and hosted by the Environmental Research Group Augusta.
Last year PUBF held a similar workshop in Augusta, their first outside Perth, and both were directed by mycologist Dr Neale Bougher from the Department of Environment and Conservation’s Western Australian Herbarium.
Lotterywest was a major sponsor of both workshops.
The 78 different fungi species found last year are described in PUBF’s 2007 report Fungi of the West Bay Bushland, Augusta, Western Australia (49 pages).
A copy is available in the Augusta Library and it can be downloaded from the website www.fungiperth.org.au
A field book can also be downloaded.
It allows for more fungi to be added as they are discovered and identified.
The self-managed format allows individuals to create their own field books.
Users are encouraged to supplement and expand their books with their own notes and photographs.
“PUBF and many other volunteers have done a fantastic job finding, photographing, documenting and drying fungi during recent years,” Mr Bougher said.
The WA Herbarium, where the major fungi collections are housed, greatly values this support.
“Although our environment contains many more fungi species than plant species, only a little is known about the State’s fungi.
One estimate is that the South West has 25,000 fungi species, of which fewer than 10 per cent have been discovered and named to date.”
Roz Hart, PUBF’s Community Education officer, organised both of the Augusta fungi workshops.
This year PUBF produced a special Fungi Kit.
It includes a list of the 92 species found in the West Bay bushland since 2006.
“The fungi were variously found underground, on the ground, on moss, in litter, on dead wood and on living trees and roots,” Ms Hart said.
The main ecological types are decomposer, disease and mycorrhizal fungi.
The last type forms mutually beneficial associations with local plants (such as gums, wattles, sheoaks and orchids).
The many different forms found included bracket, coral, cup, earthstar, jelly, mushroom, puffball, shell, slime mould, truffle and tubular fungi.
“Fungal networks effectively bind soils, plants and animals into a healthy, cohesive system,” Dr Bougher said.
They are extremely important for maintaining the health of bushlands.
“Fungi decompose litter and debris, cycle precious nutrients and have mutually beneficial relationships with many plants.
“Some fungi feed animals and insects.
“For instance, small native marsupials such as woylies, potoroos and bandicoots dig up and eat truffle fungi.
“In fact, the Gilbert’s Potoroo, Australia’s most endangered mammal which is only found in a small area near Albany, is almost totally dependent on fungi as food all year round.”
Dr David Dale, co-author of the Shire’s Augusta Environmental Strategy 2003, said that “the West Bay bushland is highly significant because of its great diversity and strategic location at the main entrance to Augusta.
“The wide ranging biodiversity studies carried out in the bushland since 2005 should prove to be invaluable to the Augusta-Margaret River Shire and the Department of Environment and Conservation when a management plan is developed for the West Bay area.
“That plan should give recognition to the area’s very high potential for environmental education.
“It will be great if an Interpretation Centre can be planned and developed near the southern foreshore of West Bay, perhaps close to the Augusta Yacht Club and Blackwood River Houseboats’ base.”
Email a friend
Favourites
Del.icio.us
Facebook
Digg
StumbleUpon
MySpace
Reddit
Newsvine
LinkedIn
Kwoff
Twitter