COMMITTEE REPORTS FOR 2002
Poisons Report
Conservation Report
Quarantine Report
Education Report
Library Report
Poisons Network Special Interest Group Report (Tony Young, via
phone 25.09.2003)
There is little to report from the Poisons Network Special Interest
Group due to the fact that there was no funding from the Queensland
state government.
- The Lucid Key to Toxic Fungi is currently rewritten for Windows
XP. The key holds 46 taxa, including coloured images and explanatory
texts.
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Conservation Special Interest Group Report (Tom May 26.09.2003)
(Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Tom.May@rbg.vic.,gov.au)
A landmark for fungal conservation in Australasia was the formal listing
of 49 species of New Zealand fungi as 'Nationally Critical',
following a comprehensive assessment of the threat status of New Zealand
fungi. Fungi listed are predominantly macrofungi, but some microfungi
are also included, and a wide range of taxonomic groups is covered,
such as species of Chlorovibrissea, Claustula, Hysterangium, Puccinia, Ramaria, Russula and Uredo.
[See Hitchmough, R. (2002), New Zealand Threat Classification System
Lists 2002. Threatened Species Occasional Publication 23. Department
of Conservation, Wellington.]
In Australia there remain few fungi listed under state and commonwealth
conservation schedules. In Victoria, Hypocreopsis sp. 'Nyora'
has recently been nominated for listing under the Victorian Flora
and Fauna Guarantee Act, the first non-lichenised fungus to be
considered under the Act. In New South Wales, two further Hygrocybe species
have been listed under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (http://www.npws.nsw.gov.au/news/tscdets/index.html). Hygrocybe
collucera and H. griseoramosa, both known only from
the type locality at Lane Cove, are listed as Endangered. There are
now eight fungal taxa listed under the New South Wales Act.
The paper on 'Conservation of New Zealand and Australian Fungi' which
Peter Buchanan and Tom May presented at the International Mycological
Congress in Oslo has recently been published in New Zealand Journal
of Botany (41: 407-421). The current state of conservation of fungi
in New Zealand and Australia is summarised, with case studies of selected
taxa, and a list of the 49 New Zealand fungi listed as 'Nationally
Critical'. Recommendations are made for further progress, including
production and maintenance of RED lists, and further refinement of
threat categories as they apply to fungi. Collation of taxonomic and
nomenclatural data and herbarium collections is considered a vital
underpinning to conservation listings. Some approaches to conservation
of fungi in addition to listing of individual species are also discussed,
such as surrogacy, congruence, hot spots and habitat-based approaches.
It has been difficult to co-ordinate any meetings of the Special Interest
Group, although informal contacts among members have been made on a
regular basis. AMS members wishing to participate in the Conservation
Special Interest Group are most welcome.
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Quarantine Special Interest Group Report (Cheryl
Grgurinovic, 25.09.2003)
(Cheryl.Grgurinovic@aqis.gov.au)
The quarantine special interest group subcommittee
is listed as a stakeholder for AQIS, for consultation purposes, and
to respond to submissions, but to date no requests have been made.
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Education Special Interest Group Report (Peter McGee,
24.09.2003)
(pmcg1069@mail.usyd.edu.au)
This past year has been relatively quiet. Development
of the webpage [http://bugs.bio.usyd.edu.au/mycology/default.htm] continues.
The main emphasis has been to update information and refine interactivity.
I would appreciate feedback from members on ways to improve the webpage,
and suggestions for new areas of content. We have started the development
a linked web page to be used in the study of Plant Pathology, making
use of the expertise associated with the University of Sydney. The
new web page will have the same appearance, but is much faster to navigate
because we refined the structure underpinning the content.
The webpage continues to be used widely. Our counter
suggests it receives over 100 hits per day on average.
The group has not met this year, and apart from the
webpage, is quiet.
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Library Report (Ceri Pearce, AMS Librarian, 30.09.2003)
(Ceri.Pearce@dpi.qld.gov.au)
As a result of my move to Cairns, the AMS library has moved with me,
and remains in a minor state of chaos, with most boxes now unpacked
and books back on shelves. The new site address is 92 Mayers
Street, Manunda. Postal address is Ceri Pearce, Queensland Department
of Primary Industries, PO Box 652, Cairns 4870 Qld. Email: Ceri.Pearce@dpi.qld.gov.au
and phone (W) (07) 40441642 or (AH) (07) 40536930.
The AMS library continues to expand. Additions have resulted
from generous donations and exchange agreements:
Roger Hilton kindly donated 2 large boxes of books, which are presently
being added to the database. The books and journals are wonderful
and include a complete set of "The Fungi" by Ainsworth and Sussman.
Dr Cheryl Grgurinovic donated a copy of her book, "The Genus Mycena
in Eastern Australia".
Jim Trappe donated "Ecology and Management of Commercially Harvested
Chanterelle Mushrooms" by Pilz, Norvell, Danell and Molina.
Teressa Lebel donated "Key to spores of the Genera of Hypogeous Fungi
of North Temperate Forests with special reference to animal mycophagy" by
Castellano, Trappe, Maser and Maser.
There have been several other donations of papers and books. Thank
you kindly to all members supporting the AMS library through donations.
Journal exchange agreements continue and include Fungal Diversity,
The Victorian Naturalist, CBS and Revista Di Micologia. My aim for
the coming year is to update the library classification system and
add the new references available to the new AMS website.
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