- Proposed
- Under Assessment
- Preliminary Assessed
- Assessed
- LCPublished
Vararia incrustata Gresl. & Rajchenb.
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- Scientific name
- Vararia incrustata
- Author
- Gresl. & Rajchenb.
- Common names
- IUCN Specialist Group
Mushroom, Bracket and Puffball- Kingdom
- Fungi
- Phylum
- Basidiomycota
- Class
- Agaricomycetes
- Order
- Russulales
- Family
- Lachnocladiaceae
- Assessment status
- Published
- Assessment date
- 2020-04-01
- IUCN Red List Category
- LC
- Assessors
- Greslebin, A., Kuhar, F., Truong, C. & Pfister, D.
- Reviewers
- Mueller, G.M.
Assessment Notes
The content on this page is fetched from The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/172740791/172861202
Justification
This species is currently known only from Tierra del Fuego in Argentina, although survey work to find this species in Chile is yet to occur. Recent observations of this species have only come from pristine forest and so the species is suspected to be undergoing a decline. However, there is much potential habitat for the species remaining in the region, and so it is not thought to approach the thresholds for listing as threatened at the moment. It is, therefore, listed as Least Concern.Geographic range
This species is known only from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, in various localities in Ushuaia department: Ea. Moat; El Martial glacier; Lago Escondido; the road to Termas; Monte Olivia; Ea. El Valdez; and in the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego (in the area of Bahía Lapataia, Ensenada and Río Pipo).It has not been found on the continent in Argentina even in the well researched mixed Nothofagus forests of Chubut and Rio Negro. Searches are yet to occur in Chile (e.g. searches in Magallanes would be beneficial).
Population and Trends
In a survey conducted 1996-1999 the species was recorded 14 times. However, in a recent survey of fungal diversity in managed and unmanaged forests conducted in 2012-2013 it was recorded only once in pristine forests. It is suspected that the species is declining and this may continue into the future.
Population Trend: decreasing
Habitat and Ecology
It is found growing on Nothofagus betuloides, Nothofagus pumilio and, occasionally, on Drymis winteri. Mostly it is found on much decayed bark but also on wood.Threats
Anthropogenic disturbance (forestry, tourism and recreational use) impacts this species' habitat, which can lead to habitat fragmentation.Conservation Actions
Some subpopulations are found in the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. Resource and habitat protection may be important for this species.The geographic distribution of this species and its abundance needs to be assessed, particularly searching for the species in Chile. Monitoring of the area would be important to help to analyse the rate of decline into the future. Knowledge of factors affecting its limited distribution within the host's range (why it is not present in continental forests in Argentina) will also be very valuable, as would research into how forest management may impact this species, as this species appears to only be found in pristine sites. Finally, this species is unique in its genus because of micromorphological features. It will be interesting to study it phylogenetic affinities in order to assess its particular value from an evolutionary and taxonomic point of view.
