Managing Grassland for Fungi

By Jon Dunkelman

 

Grassland fungi are a vital component in meadow ecology.

 

We are lucky that in Monmouthshire we still retain many meadows and undisturbed grassland, where fungal communities have gradually built up. These so-called ‘Waxcap Grasslands’, named after the ‘stars’ of grassland fungi, the colourful Waxcaps, have developed over long periods of time, yet they can be lost with just one season of ploughing, or a well-meaning tree-planting scheme.  It takes many decades or even centuries for complex grassland fungi communities to become established, making appropriate management an important consideration for meadow owners.

 

The importance of fungi in grassland has been overlooked in the past, and many owners are not aware of the fungi developing in their meadows and haven’t yet realised the importance of their site.  Recently more and more landowners are recognising the importance of protecting these rare and valuable sites.

 

Management Regime

Usefully the basic principles of managing grassland for fungi are the same as managing for wildflowers or for encouraging a diversity of invertebrates (as described in other posts on the Monmouthshire Meadows Group web site).  There are some differences of emphasis, and additional points to be aware of.

Grassland fungal communities favour short, open sward, which is nutrient-poor and often quite mossy, and they are very sensitive to disturbance from ploughing, reseeding, fertilisers, pesticides and other chemicals.

 

The first advice for managing your meadows for fungi is, therefore, to avoid disturbance, both physical and in the soil composition. Nutrients or chemicals are to be avoided, as grassland fungi communities are even more sensitive to these factors than the flowers we encourage in our meadows. 

Physical disruption includes not just ploughing or reseeding, but any physical disruption such as compaction by heavy vehicles.

One example of disturbance is harrowing.  Heavy harrowing is thought to damage the fungi mycelium (the main part of the fungus organism that lives underground).  On the precautionary principle, it is probably best to avoid even light harrowing.

 

Ideally grass should be short for the start of the main fungi season in September.  If you are managing your grassland as hay meadow, these are traditionally cut before this.  Aftermath grazing is then the best way to keep the sward short after the cut.  Where this isn’t an option, including in areas such as church yards and lawns, the growth can be kept short by cutting again before the fungi appear.  It is very important to avoid a build-up of nutrients by always removing any cut vegetation from the land.

 

For other types of grassland, grazing animals is the best way of keeping the sward short, providing the land isn’t heavily trampled or over-grazed.  Sheep are best, but ponies and some cattle breeds can also provide an environment where Waxcaps and other grassland fungi can flourish.  If you manage a mixture of meadow and pasture you can enjoy fungi communities in both areas with the right grazing animals.

Keep the land clear of scrub and encroaching bracken.

 

Don’t cut once the fungi start to appear.  The season lasts until the frosts arrive, usually in early December. 

The reward is an exciting display of varied and intriguing colours and shapes.  You will have to get used to spotting them in the grass - some are quite small, but others are bright, bold beauties.

 

What Species do you See?

Grassland fungi such as Waxcaps are best spotted after the hay cut, and fruiting is most prolific when there has been summer heat followed by serious rain.

Fungi species can often be difficult to identify.  The beauty of Waxcaps is that they are (mostly) relatively easy to identify without resorting to microscopic investigation.  They are also useful as a measure of the importance of your meadow.  Simply counting the number of different waxcap species is one measure of the fungal value of an area of grassland.

 

Easily Recognisable Waxcaps

All photographs by Jon Dunkelman

As you can see, colour can often be used to identify Waxcaps but other features can also be diagnostic.  Several species have distinctive smells and the viscous or slimy texture of the fungus is also useful.

 

Other types of ‘true’ grassland fungi (‘true’ refers to fungi that depend on the grassland ecology as opposed to species depending on trees or other habitats) include numerous species of Pinkgills (the ‘little brown jobs’ of the fungi world), some species of Agarics including Field Mushrooms and Horse Mushrooms, and the harder to spot Clubs, Corals, Spindles and Earthtongues

Earthtongue Photo: Jon Dunkelman

Meadow Coral and White Spindles Photo: Jon Dunkelman

Earthtongue, Meadow Coral and White Spindles are small species of grassland fungi which are often missed

 

Reference Sources

Using some of the sources below can help you identify what you have.  The Natural England guide referenced below (Bowler, 2023) gives further detailed management advice specifically for grassland fungi.  You can also visit fungi-rich reserves such as New Grove Meadows and Trellech Wet Meadow.