Pioneering conservation strategies for non-wood-inhabiting decomposer fungi

About the Project

Fungi are an essential part of every ecosystem but are under-studied and often overlooked. Effective fungal conservation is frequently hampered by a lack of knowledge about the ecology of the species under consideration. Decomposer fungi are an especially important group, but to date much of the work on their conservation has focussed on a few key species that grow on wood. This project will look to extend that work to non-wood-inhabiting decomposer fungi, focussing on four threated British species: Desarmillaria ectypa (marsh honey fungus), Battarrea phalloides (sandy stiltball), Bovista paludosa (fen puffball) and Hohenbuehelia culmicola (marram oyster).

The objectives for this PhD are to:

• Determine the basic ecological requirements of the under-studied, non-wood decay fungi Desarmillaria ectypa, Battarrea phalloides, Bovista paludosa and Hohenbuehelia culmicola
• Determine habitat requirements and preferences for these four species
• Create culture collections of these four species for ex situ conservation

This project will use a combination of fieldwork, lab culturing, lab experimentation, DNA analysis, bioinformatics, and statistics.

This studentship forms evidence-based fungal conservation as part of the Species Recovery Programme. The successful candidate will be based in Cardiff University’s Fungal Ecology Research Group, and will work as part of a team of researchers delivering different aspects of the SRP project. They will also benefit from regular input by project partner Dr Matt Wainhouse of Natural England.