On Monday 4th November Herefordshire Meadows held a waxcap walk at Hererfordshire Wildlife Trust’s Sturts North Nature Reserve, looking for autumnal indicators of good grassland diversity and soil health.
The session was led by Jo Weightman and David Williamson from Herefordshire Fungus Group, who helped us to identify the various and sometimes colourful waxcaps on show as well as a variety of other fungus.
The appearance of the above-ground fruiting bodies of fungi is very time and weather dependent, and that day we didn’t get lucky with a great variety on show…but we still managed to identify 11 different species, 6 of which were grassland waxcaps.
Recorders Jo Weightman and David Williamson
This species list confirms the Sturts North as being a site of grassland fungi interest, scoring a 10 on the matrix provided by Plantlife’s grassland fungi resource, which says
“Scores of 0-4 indicate more intensively managed grasslands, probably with low grassland fungi interest. But, be aware that this is not always the case; fungi do not always fruit e.g. if the vegetation is too dense, or the weather too dry. You should not dismiss a site with a low score straight away, as sites are best visited over several years to assess their fungi interest. Scores of 5-11 would indicate sites that may be of grassland fungi interest and may be worth further investigation (see below). Scores of 12-29 would indicate sites that are good for grassland fungi and worth further survey, especially by an expert…”
If you feel inspired to have a go at surveying your own local grassland, you can take part in Plantlife’s ongoing Waxcap Watch
A very good guide book is: Grassland Fungi – a field guide by Elsa Wood and Jon Dunkelman.
Plantlife’s website says Waxcap grasslands need:
• Well-drained soil
• Permanent grassland with little compaction
• Soils low in nutrients – away from feeding areas and without fertilisers
• Short grass ideally with plenty of moss
Waxcap fungi are fascinating not only for their vibrant colours but also for their significance as indicators of healthy grasslands. The presence of waxcap fungi along with good botanical diversity are indicators of ancient species-rich grassland, and the decline in this habitat due to agricultural improvement means that many waxcap species are rare and declining.