North Kerry Waxcap Survey 2012 - the Northern Ireland Fungus Group

Vesterholt et al (1999) estimated that sites with 22+ species of waxcap (which translates to
sites with 15+ in one visit going by the graphs) are internationally important and the guidelines
for designating SSSIs in the UK recommended that sites with 18+ species from multiple visits
and 12+ in a single visit should be considered for SSSI status (Genney et al., 2009).
Additionally sites with 5+ species of Clavariaceae, 12+ species of Entolomataceae or 3+
species of Geoglossaceae should be considered for SSSIs. This would lead to one site being
internationally important (Glenahoo) and one site being of national importance (Lough Adoon).
My personal thought is that some of these thresholds are a bit low for the British Isles and 15
species in one visit is too low for international importance. I would suggest with the current
data, Glennahoo is of national importance but this would be all. More of the Dingle sites could
be of national importance as this was a bad fruiting year, but data is needed to back that up.
Mount Brandon Corries
The corries to the south east of the summit of Mount Brandon are the best montane site in
Ireland for vascular plants and lichens (Gilbert and Fryday, 1996). This is because of the
calcicolous influences on the mountain. In an extended visit studying the montane lichens,
Gilbert and Fryday found the summit itself to of lesser interest with heavy sheep grazing
reducing any terrestrial lichen interest. However they found the chain of high altitude tarns
from Lough Cruite up to below the final climb to the summit to be “outstanding” with the tarns
between 460m and 540m to be the best. Fungi also have a suite of montane species both of
mycorrhizal species and of saprotrophs. The mycorrhizal fungi are found primarily in
association with dwarf willow, Salix herbacea and Dryas Octopetala in Ireland. Saprotrophs
can include species of Hygrocybe and Mark Wright and myself found Hygrocybe
salicis-herbacea for the first time in the British Isles in the Cairngorms in Scotland in 1997.
Mount Brandon corries, Lough Cruite in the background
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