North Kerry Waxcap Survey 2012 - the Northern Ireland Fungus Group

10km square and Site Rankings
Both the total 10km squares and individual sites were ranked according to numbers of species
of Hygrocybe. Map 2 shows the distribution of the 10km squares surveyed and the number of
species of Hygrocybe found in each square. Appendix 1 gives full 10km and site species lists.
Map 2 – 10km squares surveyed with number of species of Hygrocybe recorded
This was a difficult survey with fruiting sparse and waxcaps difficult to find. The overall number
of records of target species found (237), the number of target species found (40) and number
of sites with 10 or more species (6) were all the lowest numbers found in these six surveys for
the Heritage Council (see Table 6). This does not necessarily mean that North Kerry is poor for
waxcaps but it does mean that fruiting was poor in this two week survey period.
Map 2 shows the distribution of species of Hygrocybe by 10km square and follows a
predictable pattern of the best sites being in the steeply mountainous and coastal areas with
the flatter lowlands having few species. Such lowland areas can have good sites but finding
them is very difficult as they will be more unpredictable sites like lawns around large houses,
churchyards or small fields which for various reasons have had little artificial fertilisers added.
The Dingle peninsula is highly mountainous with very high rainfall. Much of the upland is
blanket bog which is not suitable for grassland fungi so the sites found were often steep
hillsides, especially the steep glacial valleys between Slievanea to Stradbally Mountain where
the classic U shaped valleys cut deep into the hills provided the best sites on this survey.
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