%0 Journal Article
%T Availability of Wild Edible Fungi in La Malinche National Park, Mexico
%A A. Montoya
%A A. Kong
%A R. Garibay-Orijel
%A C. M¨¦ndez-Espinoza
%A Rodham E. Tulloss
%A A. Estrada-Torres
%J Journal of Mycology
%D 2014
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2014/241806
%X The aim of this paper is to compare edible mushroom availability between the two slopes of La Malinche National Park in central M¨¦xico, and to discuss the possible relation between their availability and traditional use. Eight transects were set up. Samples were collected weekly during the rainy seasons of years 1998¨C2000. Sixty-one edible mushroom species were collected from a total area of 3200£¿m2 (0.32£¿ha). Over the three-year period, the diversity of mushrooms ranged from 21 to 28 taxa per transect line. Sporocarps were produced at a rate from 2.06 to 6.05£¿kg/401.51£¿m2. The highest species richness and production values for spatio-temporal frequency were obtained in Southeast slope. Edible mushrooms availability in the Southeast slope showed a strong dominance, driven mainly by Laccaria trichodermophora and Hebeloma mesophaeum. The Southwest slope had more diversified availability in time and space, with the most representative species, being L. trichodermophora. The characteristics of traditional management on each slope determined the differences found. 1. Introduction ¡°La Malinche¡± volcano (altitude 4460£¿m) is one of the most important mountains in central M¨¦xico. Located in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, in the southern part of the state of Tlaxcala, it has been considered one of its eldest mountains (INEGI 1986). Most of its forests are protected as a National Park. However, timber and nontimber forest products are extracted as part of the subsistence strategy of local communities. People gather firewood, edible and medicinal plants, seeds, and moss and mushrooms and hunt small preys [1]. 226 species of macromycetes have been listed [2], 93 of which are used by local people as food, fuel, cosmetics, medicines, and insecticides [2, 3]. In the surroundings of La Malinche, there are 236 villages [4], some inhabited by Nahua and Otom¨ª indigenous descendants and others settled by mestizo people. In consequence, East and West forests are under different management practices [5]. In many of these localities, Amanita basii, Lyophyllum decastes, and Boletus pinophilus are the species with the highest cultural significance (cultural significance refers to the importance of the role that the organism plays within a particular culture [6]) [5]. As a preliminary suggestion, it has been proposed that both fruit body abundance and price are related to the cultural significance of species. Montoya et al. [7] found a negative correlation between the fruit body abundance and the mention frequency, suggesting that the most valued resources are not always the
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jmy/2014/241806/