Characterization of Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) and Pine Mushrooms (Tricholoma magnivelare) in Northern Saskatchewan

Baseline data on the boreal jack pine associated chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) and pine mushrooms (Tricholoma magnivelare) in the Boreal Plain Ecozone of Saskatchewan was collected in five ecosites of productive mushroom areas. It investigated hourly weather parameters correlated with daily purchase volumes over four years; yield data over five years; varying age/ tree density/species for presence of mushrooms in over 100 stands. All plots fell within the lichen jP ecosite with an overstory entirely of jack pine. The understory was dominated by reindeer lichen, bearberry and blueberry. Plots were well- to rapidly drained, subxeric to submesic, with low nutrient regime. Both chanterelle and pine mushrooms were present in jack pine stands of < 20 years age with greatest occurrence in pure jack pine stands of 41–60 years in moderately open A-B canopy density. Weekly purchase data correlated with environmental parameters. Growing Degree Days (Base Temperature 5oC) + soil temperature (minimum 500 ± 70 GDD), + either soil moisture or precipitation (cumulative 50–100 mm) provided the highest regression value with chanterelle yield 6–13 weeks prior to first appearance. Five year total chanterelle yield from this region averaged 7100 kg/yr. Chanterelle cap diameter was a good predictor of fresh weight and proxy for yield. Pine mushroom was < 10% of chanterelle yield, averaging 1.72 kg/ha over four years based on 5 days picking. With future climate predictions of warmer and moister conditions, timing of fruiting body appearance is anticipated to advance.

A review of reindeer lichen (Cladonia subgenus Cladina) linear growth rates

Cladonia subgenus Cladina (the reindeer lichens) can be a dominant part of terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. They are particularly abundant in arctic-alpine and boreal regions, where they are a primary food source for woodland caribou/reindeer in winter months. Determining the growth rates of reindeer lichen is important for understanding and managing lichen regeneration following disturbances such as timber harvesting, mining, grazing, and wildfire. Regeneration and rehabilitation rates can be calculated with greater accuracy when growth rates are well understood. We provide a summary of 17 studies from 6 countries that determined the linear growth rates of three reindeer lichen groups, Cladonia arbuscula/mitis (mean = 4.7 mm/yr.), C. rangiferina/ C. stygia (mean = 5.1 mm/yr.), and C. stellaris (mean = 4.8 mm/yr.). We use linear growth rates as a proxy for over-all growth and biomass. Variables found to influence lichen growth rates are also discussed, which include light, moisture, temperature, air pollution, acid rain, precipitation, snow accumulation, substrate, age of individuals, and type of disturbance. These results can assist land managers in developing more accurate strategies for restoring lichens in disturbed areas.

Extraction, Solubility and Antimicrobial Activity of (-) Usnic Acid in Ethanol, a Pharmaceutically Relevant Solvent

Usnic acid (UA) is the most studied bioactive secondary metabolite from lichens. Recently, UA research has focused on its antibacterial activity. However, increased application in healthcare products of UA is hampered by low solubility in aqueous solutions. Here, we report ethanol both as an alternative extraction solvent to acetone and as a pharmaceutically relevant solvent for future formulations. Dried samples of the abundant reindeer lichen ( Cladonia stellaris) were extracted in a 23 factorial design using either ethanol or acetone, varying both time and solvent-to-dry mass ratio. In both extracts, UA was the predominant compound as shown by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography (TLC). In a disc diffusion assay, both extracts demonstrated similar antibacterial susceptibility towards Gram-positive ( Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus), while showing little to no activity against Gram-negative bacteria ( Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Among a range of pharmaceutically relevant solvents tested, UA was only soluble in ethanol (at concentrations up to 1–2 mg mL−1).

Can partial‐cut harvesting be used to manage terrestrial lichen habitat? A review of recent evidence

Recent research suggests that partial-cut harvesting techniques can be used to alter successional trajectories in pine- and spruce-lichen woodlands, allowing forest managers to extend the period of reindeer lichen growth in mid- to late seral boreal forest stands. In Quebec, a fully replicated partial-cutting trial found that terrestrial lichen abundance remained at least as high in the partial cut as in the clearcuts or unlogged stands, and that the partial cut appeared to be on a trajectory to have even more terrestrial lichen due to sustained higher growth rates. In Alberta, a retrospective study found higher terrestrial lichen abundance in an early horse-logged partial cut than in undisturbed adjacent old forests or in clearcuts. Follow-up studies of partial-cut harvesting trials in British Columbia found that group selection plots 10 years after harvesting had lichen cover equivalent to that of undisturbed forest. In contrast, studies on lichen woodlands that have been defoliated by mountain pine beetle showed a major decline in reindeer lichen cover and a corresponding increase in vascular plant cover, similar to the results of previous studies on clear-cut logging impacts. Taken together these studies provide qualified support for the hypothesis that partial-cut harvesting can be used to enhance, or at least maintain, terrestrial lichen mats used as forage by caribou.

Introducing a new food additive into confectionary production

The choice of confectionary products in the Russian market has been significantly diversified and enlarged, creating an increasingly competitive market environment. New import products and raw materials manufactured in compliance with Russian, international and individual company quality standards cause a range of quality-control-related issues. Tough competition makes it necessary for producers to expand their range of products and create new USP-endowed products. When mixed into flour, ultrafine reindeer lichen powder improves sensory parameters of confectionary products.