The Socioeconomic Impact of Truffle Cultivation in Rural Spain<Superscript>1</Superscript>

The Socioeconomic Impact of Truffle Cultivation in Rural Spain. Commercial black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) plantations have been promoted in Europe with the intention of benefiting rural economies while conserving biodiversity through the expansion of oak woodlands. In this context, a socioeconomic study was conducted around the town of Sarrión in eastern Spain, where government subsidies have supported oak reforestation and truffle cultivation in unproductive hilly areas since 1987. Currently there are about 4,500 ha of truffle orchards in the surrounding county and 530 members in the local truffle association, which has provided a key forum for truffle cultivators to share technical, financial and administrative experiences. Structured interviews were carried out in 2002 with a number of orchard owners, as well as representatives of financial and governmental institutions. Truffles, which are harvested using trained dogs, typically fetch local cultivators average prices of 220–670 EUR/kg, although retail prices of high-quality specimens may reach twice this amount. In addition to the direct economic impact, an increase in local land prices was also documented, as well as a tendency for continued expansion of truffle orchards, and thus oak reforestation. In conclusion, the promotion of truffle cultivation through autonomous community and provincial government subsidies, in conjunction with support by local banks, a dedicated local truffle association, and growing interest on behalf of local farmers, seems to have achieved the mutual goals of biodiversity conservation and improving the rural economy in this region of Spain.     

From Disgust to Desire: Changing Attitudes toward Beringian Mushrooms

From Disgust to Desire: Changing Attitudes toward Beringian Mushrooms. Separated by national borders and the International Dateline, the native communities inhabiting the Bering Strait regions of Russia and Alaska share a common natural environment, myriad cultural similarities, and long-standing social ties. Their subsistence diets also are similar, except that wild mushrooms are revered on the Russian side of the Bering Strait (Chukotka) and are feared and avoided in Alaska. This paper explores the origins of this dietary difference and probes the social dimensions of food and cuisine with respect to the culinary utilization of wild mushrooms.     

中国的球盖菇科(四)裸盖菇属

通过观察吉林农业大学菌物研究所标本馆(HMJAU)、中国科学院微生物研究所菌物标本馆(HMAS)、广东省微生物研究所标本馆(HMIGD)及作者野外采集的共37份标本的宏观及微观形态结构,对中国裸盖菇属[Psilocybe(Fr.)Kumm.]进行了分类学研究,对已知的10个种进行了形态学描述,并编写了分种检索表。报道了采自内蒙古的1个新种:蒙古裸盖菇(Psilocybe mongolica Sarentoya et Tolgor);3个中国新记录种:鳞柄裸盖菇(Psilocybe baeocystis Singer & Smith)、拟变蓝裸盖菇(Psilocybe wayanadensis K.A.Thomas,Manim & Guzmán)、越南裸盖菇(Psilocybe yungensis Singer & Smith);4个省级新记录种:内蒙古新记录种喜粪生裸盖菇[Psilocybe coprophila(Bull.ex Fr.)Kumm.]、广东省新记录种古巴裸盖菇[Psilocybe cubensis(Earle)Sing.]、广西省新记录种黄裸盖菇(Psilocybe fasciata Hongo)和西藏新记录种毒裸盖菇[Psilocybe venenata(Imai)Imazeki & Hongo]。     

Knowledge and use of fungi by a mycophilic society of the Venezuelan Amazon

This paper reports on the knowledge and useful applications of various fungi by the Hotï, a recently contacted Native American society inhabiting the Sierra Maigualida region of the Venezuelan Amazon. At least 31 folk taxa of fungi are esteemed as sources of nutrition, powerful media for hunting magic, protective charms against black magic, human medicinal agents, or body adornments. Even though the results presented here probably do not exhaust the total number of species known and used by them, they nevertheless suggest that the Hotï constitute one of the rare mycophilic societies in the Venezuelan Amazon. Further research is needed in order to obtain a more complete picture of the complexity of humanfungi relationships in this society.