Assessment Notes

Justification

Buchwaldoboletus lignicola is a rare wood-inhabiting bolete associated with Phaeolus schweinitzii primarily as a mycoparasite but potentially also as a saprotroph. It is reported from 26 countries in Europe and also from Asia and USA. In most countries it is rare and it is included in 9 national Red Lists and in two regional Red Data books of Russia. The total number of localities is estimated to be less than 1,500 and the total population size is not exceed 6,000 mature individuals. The old growth pine forest habitat has declined substantially during the past century throughout Europe, USA and Asia. The habitat decline is suspected to be ongoing. The species is therefore assessed as Vulnerable.

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Geographic range

Buchwaldoboletus lignicola is a rare holarctic species widespread in Eurasia and North America. It is recorded in 26 countries (Ainsworth  et al. 2013, Aryal and Budathoki 2013, GBIF 2019, Mikšik 2012, Ortiz-Santana 2011, Svetasheva and Biketova 2018, Venturella 2017).

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Population and Trends

Buchwaldoboletus lignicola is as a rare species throughout all the range where it is known. Usually, there are only a few records from each country, except for UK where there are 54 findings. Nevertheless, in UK, it has been assessed as Vulnerable due to very small population (Ainsworth et al. 2013). GBIF reports in total 330 records of which 290 are from Europe. The number of known localities are about 120. The total number of localities is expected not to exceed 1,500. We conservatively estimate the number of different genotypes to be two per locality, on average to correspond to four mature individuals (Dahlberg and Mueller 2011). Hence, then total population size is estimated not exceed 6,000 mature individuals.

The old growth pine forest habitat has declined substantially during the past century throughout Europe. For example, this habitat type is assessed as nationally red listed in Austria (Essl and Egger 2010) and documented to have declined substantially in Sweden (Svensson et al. 2019). The habitat decline is suspected to be ongoing.

Population Trend: decreasing

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Habitat and Ecology

Buchwaldoboletus lignicola is a wood-inhabiting fungus with two life forms. Predominantly, it is considered to be a mycoparasite, but it is also reported as a saprotroph (Nuhn et al. 2013). It usually grows on coarse decayed wood of Pinaceae trees (Pinus sylvestris, P. pinaster, P. strobus, P. nigra, Larix decidua, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Picea abies) colonized by Phaeolus schweinitzii (Fr.) Pat., which is a quite rare brown-rot parasitic fungus, causing tree death, where after it grows as a saprotroph (Kuthan and Sedivy 1971). It inhabits mostly mature trees in poor pine forests or mixed forest with pines. The species is probably associated with mild climate in the temperate region, with a few records from the north influenced by the milder oceanic climate (Funga Nordica 2012).

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Threats

The main threat is deforestation of old-growth coniferous forests, in particular if clearing of old stumps takes place. Potentially, forest fires may be detrimental to existing localities.

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Conservation Actions

Protection of known localities. Save appropriate types of dead wood at sites with Phaeolus schweinitzii, where Buchwaldoboletus lignicola potentially may occur.

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Use and Trade

Its edibility is unknown.

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Source and Citation

Svetasheva, T. 2019. Buchwaldoboletus lignicola. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T125434218A125435540. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T125434218A125435540.en .Downloaded on 30 January 2021

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• Country occurrence