Pine mushroom habitat characteristics and management strategies in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia

Abstract

This study was initiated by BC Timber Sales (BCTS), in the B.C. Ministry of Forests and Range, to guide its forest management planning for popular pine mushroom (Tricholoma magnivelare [Peck] Redhead) harvesting areas near the town of Nakusp in the West Kootenay region of the southern Interior. Pine mushroom habitat was located and mapped in the study areas using information gathered from local harvesters and from ground surveys conducted over a 5-year period. Habitat characteristics were described for 25 plots centred on pine mushroom patches across the study areas. Recommendations were provided to bcts to incorporate into their forest management plans for the study areas. The study demonstrated how new information on managing for non-timber resources can, when integrated into forest management plans, support pine mushroom harvesting opportunities in conjunction with timber harvesting.