Fungi of Calke Park

Calke’s veteran and mature, freestanding trees offer high quality habitat. Their open situation means that light can reach most areas of the trees to the benefit of invertebrates. Lower aerial branches, which may die off as the tree ages, are kept sheltered and moist and are then colonised by fungi species suited to exploiting the deadwood habitat.

Most of the saproxylic invertebrate fauna found at Calke are dependent on fungi and micro-organisms to break down dying wood into more digestible components. These include the important heartwood decay fungi which break down the core of dead and dying wood inside living trees. This produces important deadwood habitat within living, healthy trees.

Calke has increased prevalence of heartwood decay fungi species, which includes species in the Ganoderma genus of polypore fungi, often referred to as shelf mushrooms or bracket fungi. These can be seen in various locations around Calke’s woodland and parkland habitats (see page 49).

Other species recorded as part of the Natural England 2004 survey of the site include the Oak Bracket Fungus (Pseudoinonotus dryadeus), also found on beech and alder trees, and the Beefsteak fungus (Fistulina hepatica) which is fairly common in Britain. Other polypore mushrooms recorded at Calke include Hen-of-the-Woods (Grifola frondosa), found in late summer and early autumn at the base of tree trunks, and similarly named Chicken-of-the-woods (Laetiporus sulphureus), both of which are edible to humans when cooked.

Many of the fungi species noted during this study had been nibbled on by small mammals and were often occupied by invertebrates, usually dipteran species.

Oak Polypore (Piptoporus quercinus) primarily grows on veteran oaks (Quercus spp. and usually Q. robur) and is rare throughout its distribution range, most likely due to the lack of ancient oak trees in open situations such as those found at Calke, which is a limiting factor for its distribution.

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RIGHT: Wood Mushroom (Agaricus silvicola)

47ABOVE: Early stage Diatrypella sp. 2-4 mm in diameter.RIGHT: Southern Bracket Fungus (Ganoderma australe)

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49The Oak Polypore is protected under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. The fungi was recorded at Calke in 2005 and is reported in the Natural England 2004 SSSI survey of Calke.

Parasol mushrooms (Macrolepiota procera) appear abundant at Calke and were recorded for this project. Macrolepiota procera is also extremely edible although should be cooked before consumption. Fleshy fungi fruiting bodies such as these offer substantial food for foraging mammals and insects.

Some of the smaller species, and those occupying a niche as colonisers appeared to cover many branches,

roots, bark and dying trunks. Those recorded for this study included extensive populations of one of the Diatrypella species, possibly Diatrypella quercina. Various rusts were also recorded.

Open grown veteran trees such as those found at Calke are of great importance to the conservation of many of the species discussed in this study. Trees provided with the space to develop and grow to full potential and size inherently carry a diverse and abundant number of species and provide the largest wood decay habitat. Therefore Calke’s veteran trees are important for all ‘old growth’ species dependent upon these habitats.

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LEFT: Dryad’s Saddle (Polyporus squamosus) growing on a dying oak

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LEFT: Turkeytail (Trametes versicolor)

ABOVE: Later stage Diatrypella sp. on dead oak. 2-4 mm in diameter.

Parasol Mushroom (Macrolepiota procera) found on a sunny day growing in grassland habitat near to deadwood. These mushrooms are entirely edible although not recommended raw.