Dutch fungi species number doubles

This video is about reproduction in fungi.

Dutch journal Natura (2013, #2, p. 5) reports that in 1995, 3,488 fungi species were known to live in the Netherlands.

However, by now, that number has more than doubled. Spores of many fungi travel over long distances.

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• Foot fungi a thriving, diverse community (sciencenews.org)
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• Feet home to more than 100 fungi (bbc.co.uk)
• Climate: Do fungi drive the forest carbon cycle? (summitcountyvoice.com)
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Cuckoo, linnet, and purple heron

On 12 May 2013, again to the Zouweboezem nature reserve in the Netherlands.

This reserve is famous for its black terns and its purple herons.

As we approach the reserve: shelducks near the Lek river.

Near the parking lot, chaffinch and chiffchaff singing. An oystercatcher.

A bit further: a reed warbler sings.

A sedge warbler sings.

Then, a male reed bunting.

A willow warbler and a wren sing.

A common tern flying.

A northern lapwing in a meadow.

Black terns fly above the meadow, hunting for insects.

A great cormorant.

Bearded reedlings fly away.

On a reed stem, an ergot fungus, Claviceps microcephala; in the sclerotium phase at the moment.

Marsh marigold flowers.

Black terns fly over their nesting colony, but few of them have started nesting yet. Tufted ducks sit on some of the black tern nesting platforms. It seems that the cold spring has delayed the terns’ nesting season.

A yellow water-lily flowering. That is early for this time of the year.

A great crested grebe.

A Stereum hirsutum fungus on a fallen branch.

Near the hide, a male shoveler duck swimming.

Canada geese. A mute swan. Wigeon. Gadwall ducks.

Many shiny alder leaf beetles on small trees. Some of them mating.

Water violets flowering.

A Savi’s warbler and a blackcap sing.

White dead-nettle flowers.

A green-veined white butterfly.

In a meadow, orchid flowers.

A black-tailed godwit flies, calling.

An Egyptian goose flying.

A male and a female marsh harrier fly together.

Then, a black-tailed godwit, driving away a Canada goose. Considering that Canada geese are capable of driving away big gorillas, quite a feat.

A purple heron; flying, then standing at a ditch bank.

A group of grey lag geese, with also two barnacle geese.

A male pheasant.

Many grey lag geese have goslings.

Then, something special. A male cuckoo. Usually hidden from view, but not today.

A jay flying.

A carrion crow drives away a buzzard.

A false puffball slime mould on a tree stump.

Then, a female linnet.

And a male linnet.

Then, Lentinus tigrinus mushrooms.

We are near the exit of the reserve. Corn salad flowering.

In Ameide village, a white stork on its nest on the roof of the church.

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• Savi’s warbler, willow warbler, wren and curlews (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
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• CWP Bird Photos (cotswoldwaterpark.wordpress.com)
• Linnet, mistle thrush and World War II (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• Wisconsin Board to Vote on Endangered Species Revisions (nbc15.com)
• Results of Birdathon for Starr (starrtrips.wordpress.com)
• Locustella luscinioides (animalsoftheworldblog.wordpress.com)

Two eaglets born, Lauwersmeer, the Netherlands

This video from the Netherlands is about ringing a young sea eagle, born in Lauwersmeer National Park in 2011.

Staatsbosbeheer in the Netherlands reports that recently, on 6 May, two new-born sea eaglets were seen in the white-tailed eagle nest in Lauwersmeer nature reserve.

Also in 2011 and in 2012, the Lauwersmeer eagles nested successfully. In both years, one young eagle grew up, and learned to fly. I saw the daughter, born in 2012, getting flying lessons.

Lauwersmeer fungi: here.

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Amorous avocets and parasitic fungi

After the Landje van Geijsel birds, on Sunday 7 April we continued to the Waverhoek nature reserve.

In the shallow water near the entrance, scores of avocets.

Probably, two male avocets were quarreling about, and displaying for, a female.

After some time, quiet returned. The avocets walked around, together with a redshank.

On reed, there is the parasitical ergot fungus, Claviceps microcephala.

Many black-tailed godwits; more than at the Landje van Geijsel.

Carrion crows.

Two common sandpipers.

A male pintail duck.

A male reed bunting, singing on a bush.

Grey lag geese already have goslings.

A hare.

A goshawk flying.

Two great crested swimming. A bit further in the water, tufted ducks.

A buzzard circling in the air.

A male and a female gadwall.

A female stonechat on a bush.

After the Waverhoek, we pass through Uithoorn. A white stork standing on a nest.

When we are almost home, another white stork, walking in a meadow not far from another nest.

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Chytrid fungus threatening amphibians

This video from the USA says about itself:

Western Toad and Chytrid Epedemic: Short Version

Learn how the Chytrid fungus is killing amphibians in the Pacific Northwest, and around the world.

From Wildlife Extra:

Hope for frogs in a biodiversity hotspot: No chytrid fungus in West Africa

March 2013. Amphibians are one of the most threatened animal groups in the world; almost one third of all species are under acute threat. One of the main reasons for their decline is a chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) with a nearly worldwide distribution. In a collaborative effort between Burke Museum researchers and other scientists from across the globe, close to 1,000 amphibians belonging to over 60 species were tested for the disease.

Widespread in southern, eastern, and central Africa

Chytridiomycosis, the disease caused by the fungus, is known to be highly lethal to frogs and is believed to be responsible for the worldwide amphibian decline. In infected individuals, the fungus attacks the skin and blocks respiration, eventually killing the animal. Chytrid is widespread in Africa, and every year new positive records are reported from countries in southern, eastern, and central Africa. The current study by an international team of biologists and herpetologists did not detect chytrid in West Africa despite extensive tests of 62 species from seven countries. This is especially remarkable because environmental factors clearly show that the fungus would find suitable conditions in West Africa.

Two co-authors of the study, Burke Museum Curator of Herpetology Dr. Adam Leaché and University of Washington biology graduate student Matt McElroy, travelled to Ghana in 2011 to collect specimens for the project. Of the nearly 1,000 amphibians analysed in the study, a significant portion were collected on this 17-day Burke expedition, representing more than 40 different species. All are at the Burke Museum and are available to the public for future research. McElroy conducted genetic tests on more than 100 individual frogs to detect the chytrid fungus, all of which were negative (no fungus detected).

One hypothesis is that the chytrid fungus originated in Africa and dispersed globally via the pet trade. This makes the study’s finding-that chytrid is not present in West Africa-all the more unusual and interesting.

‘Dahomey Gap‘

The researchers used both genetic and histological tests to analyse the samples collected from the field. The consistently negative (chytrid free) results they found stand in stark contrast to what models of environmental parameters might predict. One explanation for this incongruence, according to Johannes Penner, the lead author on the study, is the Dahomey Gap; an arid region in Togo and Benin that naturally divides the rain forests in West Africa from Central Africa and in turn acts as a natural barrier for the dispersal of the fungus.

“Chytrid is having negative impacts on amphibian communities on a global scale, and our study provides hope that at least one highly diverse region of Africa may remain unaffected by this pathogen,” Dr. Leaché said. “Fieldwork and research conducted by Burke graduate students and undergraduates was instrumental to this study. Their efforts made a significant contribution.”

No fungus in Madagascar

It now appears that West Africa is the last tropical region beside Madagascar where chytrid does not exist, potentially sparing West Africa from the great amphibian decline affecting the rest of the world. Unfortunately, according to many experts, destruction of natural habitats, which happen on a large scale in West Africa, can easily rival the devastation of even chytrid.

To prevent chytrid from spreading into West Africa via the trade of frogs for the food market, the researchers suggest various precautionary measures. For example, the transport of potential fungus infected materials between the regions should be controlled and materials prophylactically disinfected. In addition, an early warning system would be useful to detect the appearance of the fungus in Ghana, a potential entry point. These actions could eliminate a significant threat to the amphibians of West Africa, and be utilized by conservationists to help other amphibian populations across the globe.

The report was recently published in the science journal PLOS ONE.

Deadly frog fungus found in Southeast Asia’s amphibian trade: here.

FROGS THAT MAINTAIN high body temperatures are better protected against a deadly fungus, according to research sponsored by the Australian Geographic Society: here.

Related articles

• Frogs Find Safe Haven in West Africa (news.discovery.com)
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• Mapping the Global Emergence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the Amphibian Chytrid Fungus (plosone.org)
• Almost-extinct Tanzanian toads reintroduced to wilderness (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• Deadly chytrid fungus in SE Asia amphibian trade (scienceblog.com)
• Mapping a Plague of Frogs (green.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Commercial Trade in American Bullfrogs Spreads Deadly Fungus (ens-newswire.com)

Almost-extinct Tanzanian toads reintroduced to wilderness

This video is called Kihansi Spray Toads Return to the Wild.

From Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam):

Tanzania: Kihansi Toads Reintroduced in the Wilderness

By Abdulwakil Saiboko, 12 March 2013

Kilombero — TANZANIA has gone down in history as the world’s first country to successfully reintroduce into the wild amphibians that had been in danger of extinction.

This has been revealed during the release of the second batch of 1,500 Kihansi Spray Toads (KST) into their natural habitat at Kihansi gorge at the weekend. A health complication known as chytrid fungus led to massive deaths of the species in the early 2000s.

A researcher from the University of Utah in the US, Dr William Newmark, said shortly after the release that the occasion was the first in the world and that many countries will have to learn from Tanzania. “This is the first time in Africa as well as the world, where we have witnessed a successful reintroduction of amphibians into the wild. This is the result of careful experiments,” he said.

Dr Newmark, who is also a consultant with the World Bank, noted that local and international scientists working in the reintroduction process have agreed to release a significant number of toads every year. “We will learn as we go along. The first release came with challenges that we tried to address in this second round.

Likewise, the coming round will be improved further as we will be having new ideas to bank on,” he said. He added that plans were underway to reintroduce another 3,500 toads as soon as possible. The University of Dar es Salaam Head of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation, Dr Felister Urasa, said that the first batch of 2,000 toads was released into the wild on October 30, last year.

“Those introduced in the first batch are doing fine and this is due to the fact that researchers have made efforts to see into it that there is enough food at the gorge and that their habitat is free from diseases,” she said. She added that tireless efforts made by National Environment Management Council, Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, University of Dar es Salaam, Sokoine University of Agriculture and World Bank have seen the toads going back home.

The Lower Kihansi Environmental Management Project Co-ordinator, Ms Amina Kibola noted that Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) has also contributed greatly in the process. “Tanesco has put an artificial sprinkler in place, trained ten officials who work in ensuring that the spray system works properly.

Kihansi stands as a successful story of Tanesco’s environment management efforts,” she said. Ms Kibola noted that a lot of efforts have been made in educating villagers in the vicinity of the gorge in ensuring that they are not involved in activities that are detrimental to the welfare of the toads.

The Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWRI) Eastern and Southern Zonal Coordinator, Dr Denis Ikonda, noted that his institute would ensure the sustainability of the toads in the wild. “We have the role of ensuring that the toads are not getting extinct once again and this will be done by ensuring that all the detrimental elements are prevented,” he said.

Dr Ikonda, who led the reintroduction exercise, noted further that objectives will be achieved given a reputable background TAWRI has in dealing with cases of that nature. He pointed out the recent reintroduction of wild dogs into Serengeti National Park as vivid example.

Wild dogs disappeared from the Serengeti in the 1980′s. During the construction of Lower Kihansi Dam, the population of KST which are unique of Kihansi declined due to the reduction of the amount of wetland habitat receiving natural spray. The toads’ population was attacked by a fungal disease called chytridiomycosis that threatened to wipe out the rare species from the face of the world.

About 500 of the toads, scientifically known as Nectophrynoides Asperginis, were in the year 2000 taken to the United States, because they were in danger of extinction. At Bronx and Toledo Zoos in the US the toads are said to have multiplied to over 6,000. The scientists have noted that the successful study will see many more toads being flown back home from the US.

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• ‘Kimberley Ark’ gene bank to save species from toad plague (abc.net.au)

Marsh tits, parakeets, starlings and sanderlings

On 16 February 2013, to Meijendel nature reserve.

Before we departed, the song thrush singing in a parking lot treetop. A carrion crow drove it away to sit on the treetop itself.

At the Meijendel parking lot, jackdaws and rooks on trees. A chaffinch on the ground.

A blackbird. A great tit.

Then, a special bird. A marsh tit. It moves so fast among the branches that it is impossible to make good photographs of it.

Next, a ring-necked parakeet couple. Less and less of these parrots are by now in the big flocks sleeping, eg, on the island in the pond of The Hague city centre. Ring-necked parakeets nest early in the year. The two birds here inspect whether a hole in a tree is fit for a nest. They seem to like it.

Much to the disappointment of a starling couple, which would have liked to nest there as well.

There are still icy patches on the footpaths.

At the hide, the water in the lake is still frozen. One of us speaks about seeing a bittern in the reed beds, but it may be wishful thinking. Others think they hear cranes. Wishful thinking as well? Is the sound really geese?

Another starling couple. This time with a nest hole which is unambiguously theirs.

The male spreads his wings and sings.

A bit further, two marsh tits. A blue tit.

The next lake is mostly frozen as well. A lone coot swims in the open water part.

Three Canada geese flying over head. They land in one of few ice-free lakes, south of the path to the sea. A female common pochard.

A dunnock singing.

This looks like a good spot for counting birds in my fifteen minutes for the international Great Backyard Bird Count, organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in the USA.

In these fifteen minutes, 10:36 to 10:51, I count: one female common pochard. Nine mallards. Ten great cormorants. Two mute swans. Fifteen coots. One dunnock. One great tit.

Then, on to the far western dunes, where one has a view of the sea. Over twenty sanderlings. Some resting; some running frantically along the floodline.

Three oystercatchers. Scores of adult and juvenile herring gulls.

Two great crested grebes swimming in the sea.

As we walk back, a buzzard sitting on a bush. Later, a kestrel flying.

Tulostoma fimbriatum fungi. A species which does not mind winter cold as much as many other fungi species.

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Truffle fungi in Britain

This video is called Truffles: The Most Expensive Food in the World.

By Peter Frost in Britain:

Join an ancient hunt for buried treasure

Thursday 31 January 2013

In the great food markets of Paris in the build-up to Christmas, Perigord black truffles were selling for €3,000 per kilo – they must be one of the most expensive luxury foodstuff in the world.

Truffles are normally only served on the menus of the best and most expensive restaurants in Paris, Rome or London’s West End.

No wonder for hundreds of years the country folk of the Perigord region of France have hunted these amazingly delicious and valuable delicacies.

Italians too have appreciated the amazing fungus that grows in the forests of Tuscany and other regions of Italy.

Did you know it is perfectly possible to find truffles here in Britain. They are our best and most delicious free food.

And remember, as Communist MP Willie Gallacher used to say: “Nothing is too good for the workers.”

If you are very lucky you can find your own truffles in wild hardwood forests and mature woodland all over Britain.

They are surprisingly common but that doesn’t mean they are easy to find.

Increasingly British private landowners are planting dedicated truffle groves as a lucrative cash crop although getting the valuable fungus established is sometimes a bit hit and miss.

Prince Charles has planted large numbers of them and if his other Duchy Original product prices are anything to go by his will be the most expensive of all.

So how do you find these little subterranean treasures?

Traditionally, the French and Italians have used trained pigs to snuffle the truffle but more and more today dogs are replacing pigs as the preferred hunting animal.

The reason is that pigs eat most of the truffles they find. Guzzling them down before the human hunter can get his hands on them.

However it is possible to hunt down you own truffles even without either a pig or a trained dog and you can do it for nothing.

You will certainly need a lot of patience. The prized epicurean delight grows underground on the roots of ancient hardwood trees.

Oaks are probably best. Look for the telltale column of tiny gnats hovering above a slight swelling in the moss and leaf litter of the forest floor.

Just below the surface, if you are very lucky indeed, you might find the treasure you seek. It will be between the size of an acorn and a plum and black and wrinkled.

The wonderful smell will make it easy to identify – much easier than almost any other fungus.

Even a tiny one, grated, will make the best omelette you ever tasted, or stored in a small jar of virgin olive oil will give you an ingredient that will delight your taste buds every time you cook with it.

For me the best way to enjoy the delicate, fragrant fungi is in tiny slivers served in a smooth duck or goose paté.

The French philosopher Jean-Louis Vaudoyer tells us: “There are two types of people who eat truffles – those who think truffles are good because they are expensive and those who know they are expensive because they are so good.”

Only in France would a philosopher pontificate on a smelly black wrinkled fungus – even one as good as the pride of Perigord.

Keep your eyes open next time you go for a walk in the woods. Finding a truffle or two could make it a real treasure hunt.

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2013, year of the chanterelle

In the Netherlands 2013, is the year of the beech marten and the fire salamander. And the year of the grey partidge.

The Dutch mycological society has decided that 2013 is also the year of the chanterelle.

This video is called How to find Wild Chanterelle Mushrooms, aka Cantharellus Cibarius.

This edible fungus used to common in the Netherlands, but has declined lately.

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Portugal’s midwife toads threatened

From Wildlife Extra:

Outbreak of chytrid fungus threatens Portugal’s Midwife toads

Toads have disappeared from 2/3rds of known habitats

December 2012. The emergence of chytridiomycosis is now widely recognized as a major cause of amphibian declines and biodiversity loss on local and global scales. Amphibian mortalities caused by the pathogenic chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd)) were first recorded in Iberia, Europe over a decade ago.

In August 2009, hundreds of post-metamorphic common Midwife toads (Alytes obstetricans) were found dead in the water and margins of a pond in the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, north-central Portugal, and analyses confirmed their infection with Bd. Given the likelihood of a new outbreak of chytridiomycosis, staff from Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, evaluated the possible impacts of this disease on populations of Midwife toads within the Park by conducting field surveys during 2010 and 2011.

They compared the present distribution and abundance of Midwife toads with historical records, and quantified the present prevalence and intensity of infection by Bd. Results showed that Midwife toads had disappeared from 67% of the 1 x 1 km squares where it had been recorded previously. Results also showed that breeding is currently limited to just 16% of the confirmed known breeding sites and that larvae are now less abundant. There is also a high incidence of Bd in the remaining sites.

These effects were most pronounced at altitudes above 1200 m. The findings suggest that an outbreak of chytridiomycosis is responsible for the rapid decline of Midwife toads in Serra da Estrela, and it is believed that urgent conservation measures are needed to prevent local extinction of the species.

Read the full scientific paper here.

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• A-Z of Weird Animals: Part II – Chytrid Fungus and the Fate of Amphibians (other-nations.com)
• The Great Amphibian Killer (scienceabstracts.wordpress.com)
• Substrate-Specific Gene Expression in Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the Chytrid Pathogen of Amphibians (plosone.org)
• Disease Risk in Temperate Amphibian Populations Is Higher at Closed-Canopy Sites (plosone.org)
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