What is a Grassland Habitat?

Grasslands are the product of centuries of human agricultural activity and represent the dominant habitat type in the UK, covering some 65 % of the total land area.

Semi-natural grasslands in the form of herb-rich meadows also represent a significant but largely neglected reservoir of indigenous biodiversity for the British Isles. However, over the past 50 years it is reliably estimated that in excess of 95 % of haymeadow habitats have been destroyed (Lovegrove, Shrubb & Williams, 1995), partly through urban or suburban building programmes but mainly through agricultural intensification in the form of ploughing and increased fertilizer input.

The resultant loss of biodiversity among plant and animal species (e.g. orchids, birds, butterflies) has received some public attention but only in recent years has there been a recognition that the distinctive mycota of these unimproved grasslands is also under threat.

Types of Grassland Fungi:

There are many types of fungi associated with grassland's, but the ones associated with waxcaps are; Geoglossaceae (the earth tongues), Clavarioid species (fairy clubs) and Entolomatcaeae (pink gills).