2020

A Rare Species of Bracket Fungus has been Found in LVM East Vidzeme Region

This autumn, Gaidis Grandāns, Environmental Expert at JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM), during a survey of forest roads under development in Sikšņi Forest District of LVM East Vidzeme region, found a rare species of bracket fungus called “Amylocystis lapponica”. This is the second registered deposit of this species in Latvia, and it has not yet been given its Latvian name.

“This is a unique find across Europe. I found this rare species of bracket fungus in the forest only a few days after its discovery in the territory of Ķemeri National Park, which was recorded as the first observation of the species in Latvia,” tells the attentive environmental expert Gaidis Grandāns.

The identity of the species was confirmed by the leading Estonian mycologists Asko Lõhmus and Kadri Runnel. A sample of this species can be seen in the Latvian Museum of Nature.

“Amylocystis lapponica” inhabits large-scale coniferous stands rich in deadwood. In Scandinavia, it is used as a specific species of natural forest habitats.

This species is considered critically endangered in Europe. It has been included in the Red Lists (lists of specially protected species) of a number of countries: in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden and parts of Russia. It is protected by law in Croatia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The richest deposits have been found in Scandinavia. It is also included in the list of 23 rarest mushrooms in Europe.