The Scottish Government

Title

British Mycological Society Fungal Records Database

Dataset acronym

BMSFRD

Original purpose

Dataset description

Database containing over 1 million records of around 16 900 species of fungi. The database contains links to over 2000 distribution maps of single species. There are copyright issues to be resolved before the full information can be made available 'live' on the web and the society are working towards this.

Data format

A database which serves internet queries through a web browser interface.

Data Path

On 23 May 2006 the link was: http://194.203.77.76/fieldmycology/MycoRec/MycoRec.htm

Creator or author

British Mycological Society ( BMS)

Author credentials

The BMS is a 'learned society' with international status and exists to promote all aspects of mycology. The society organises forays into the field and systemises the recording of fungi.

Contributor

Records of fungi from forays of the British Mycological Society, Association of British Fungus Groups

Various surveys, ( e.g.SNH waxcap in grasslands survey)

Local Recording Groups throughout United Kingdom

Individual and published records of British fungi from

• Transactions of the British Mycological Society, the Bulletin, and their successors
• Mycological Research
• Mycologist
• Field Mycology
• Data collection sponsored by JNCC (Cannon, Mycologist12(1): 25, 1998)

Spatial coverage

The British Isles

Time frame

Ongoing contributions of records dating back approximately 100 years.

Spatial / temporal accuracy or precision

Workshops, partial or sample surveys and forays.

Data currency

The data cover a long time period.

Archival material

Peer review

The Society organises regular workshops for field mycologists

Standards

Colin - what standards of observation??

Recording methods

The BMS website make MycoRec available for download. This is a simple database package written by Jerry Cooper in MSAccess97, designed specifically for recording fungi. Records stored in MycoRec are compatible with the BMSFRD. On 24 May 2006 the link was: http://194.203.77.76/fieldmycology/MycoRec/MycoRec.htm

MycoRec also contains a checklist of fungus names and synonyms, covering all the records in the BMSFRD and many more names used to record fungi in the British Isles

Estimated from BMSFRD

Species name; Recording date; Location name with vice-county number; Grid reference; Recorder name; Publication reference; Elevation;

Original data collected in the field.

Directly collected primary data.

Records are made during forays into the field. Some partial and systematic surveys are also carried out of habitats or areas under the auspices of the BMS or SNH.

The data are released in raw form on the internet via a web browser interface. Some surveys are published in journals or transactions of the BMS. SNH publish results of surveys as research reports.

No analytical data are collected.

Data are used by researchers in mycology for a wide range of purposes.

The database is securely maintained within the BMS web site.

Field recording methods were published and species identification is regulated by experts and field keys.

Data are collected by a peer-group of experts in field mycology.

These are raw data.

Specimens are allocated to species names with reference to a key. For recent records, photographs are often taken for identification by other experts.

The information influences for example biodiversity action plans.

Survey of 'Tooth' (stipitate hydnoid) fungi in native pinewoods

Stipitate hydnoid fungi (specifically members of the genera Bankera, Hydnellum, Phellodon, Sarcodon) have become the focus of increasing conservation concern, particularly following the detection of widespread declines in abundance.

Newton, A., Holden, L., Davy, L. & Watling, R. 2001. Survey of 'Tooth' (stipitate hydnoid) fungi in native pinewoods. SNH report.

Newton, A., Holden, L., Davy, L. & Watling, R.

To assess the status in Scotland, 103 field surveys were undertaken, including searches of 50 of the 77 native pinewood sites, traversing a total of 902 km