New fungi species unearthed in Cairngorms mountains

Image source, Trevor Dines/Plantlife

There are two new species of fungi in the UK and one that is previously unknown.

Both Amanita groenlandica and AcrodontiumAntarcticum were first recorded on opposite sides of the world.

There is a previously unknown species from a group.

The strangler is a rare fungi that is able to take over other fungi.

The violet coral fungus can be found in the Alpine grasslands. One of the UK's rare grassland fungi can be found here.

The climate and cold environment of the Cairngorms makes it home to thearctic-alpine.

Image source, Plantlife/James Hutton Institute

More than 200 soil samples were gathered by 73 volunteers last summer.

The charity Plantlife was involved in the project.

The soil samples were taken from 55 mountains in the Cairngorms National Park.

Scientists at the James Hutton Institute were able to sequence the soil'sDNA.

More than 17,000 records of 2,748 species were created.

The project gave fascinating insights into wildlife high on mountains.

The local community and researchers have created evidence based foundations against which the effects of climate and environmental change can be monitored in the future.

The more we understand the threats that this fragile habitat is facing, the better we can protect these places for the future.

Image source, Plantlife/James Hutton Institute

"Fungi are important to the functioning of our Alpine ecosystems, but because they are mostly hidden below ground and difficult to access, we don't know much about the distribution and diversity of them."

"Thanks to the hard work of volunteers and scientists coming together, the data from this survey will add significantly to our knowledge of this vital group and can be used to start identifying which habitats and locations are particularly important for the preservation of the species."

Image source, Jens H Petersen

The Cairngorms National Park is located in Scotland.

The summit with the most species found was Beinn a'Bhuird, followed by Beinn Mheadhoin and Cairngorm.

Climate change is threatening Scotland's plantlife.

The species had been found to be moving further up the Ben Lawers range.