Drought curbs Vorarlberg mushroom season

The mushroom season in Vorarlberg is expected to be poor as persistent heat and drought severely restrict growth, ORF reported. Forests are producing far fewer mushrooms than in previous years, leaving many collectors with almost empty baskets.

Elisabeth Ritter of Inatura said areas where mushrooms usually grow in damp forest soil were largely empty this year. The dry and hot conditions are limiting the development of most species, and mushroom growth is currently poor in Vorarlberg and other Austrian states.

Ritter has carried out about 150 mushroom consultations at this point in previous years. This year, she has conducted only 15. Mycorrhizal mushrooms, including chanterelles and porcini, are particularly sensitive because they live in symbiosis with trees. When trees suffer from drought, the fungal network in the soil also suffers, Ritter said. Wood-decaying mushrooms are more robust because wood stores moisture.

The shortage also increases the risk of poisoning. When collectors cannot find familiar mushrooms, they may take unknown species instead. Ritter said many have the mushrooms checked before eating them, which is extremely important. Occasionally, however, collectors seek advice only after eating a mushroom and developing symptoms.

Fewer mushrooms also affect the natural environment. Fungi convert dead wood, leaves and needles into valuable humus, but extreme drought slows this decomposition considerably. Mushrooms are also an important food source for insects, snails, beetles, squirrels and deer.

Several days of heavy rain would be needed to restart mushroom growth. After a prolonged dry period, larger mushrooms generally appear eight to 14 days after substantial rainfall, Ritter said. Short showers are not enough; the soil must be thoroughly soaked.

Vorarlberg has more than 2,100 mushroom species, including 691 listed as acutely or potentially endangered. The region’s most popular edible mushrooms, such as porcini, chanterelles and parasol mushrooms, are among its most common species and generally have a high distribution density.

Climate change has already produced noticeable changes in spring and autumn mushroom growth, Ritter said. However, yearly changes in soil moisture can mask or modify this broader trend.