A. Species
Scientific name: Tuber melanosporum
Common name(s): black truffle
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status:
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- Spain (mainland)
Country/Region: Spain
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: Sub-national / Sub-region / Sub-State
Name/Details of location: central-northeastern Spain, Province of Soria (Castilla and León)
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 2002
End Year: 2017
E. Information about the use
How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat
Type of use: Extractive
Practice of use: Gathering/Cutting/Collecting terrestrial plants and fungi or their products from the wild
Lethal or non-lethal: Non-Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of: Only parts or products of the organism
Purpose(s) of end use: Food and feed, Collection/display, Recreation and 'Mycotourism' is a newly emerging branch of ecotourism
Motivation of use: Basic subsistence, Income generation from trade (individual/household/community), Recreational, Population/Area Management and Climate Change Nature Based Solution / Adaptation Measure
Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal under national law
F. Information about the Users
Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people, National / local private sector, National external and International external
G. Information about the sustainability of use
Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: Establishment of several mycological parks where "Two complementary pathways have therefore been introduced: (1) the improvement of forest management strategies that account for the ecological requirements of fungal communities; (2) the improvement of edible mushroom resources that contribute to economic and socio-cultural developments of the region. None of the established mycological parks conflict with areas of special ecological restrictions, and protected zones have been rigorously excluded from any mycotouristic activities. Each mycological park further established fungal reserves in which harvesting is strictly permitted."
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Authors state: During the last 15 yr, regional (52%) and national governments (10%), together with the European Union (38%), invested around 8.5 million euros in this rural area to build up a worldwide unique system for ensuring sustainable (ecological) management and (economic) valorization of wild edible mushrooms and its producing forest habitats
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Sustainable growth of the gastronomy and tourist industry dimensions of use.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Authors highlight the inclusiveness of this new European enterprise: "An exceptional alliance of mycologists, foresters, gastronomes, farmers, and politicians created a wide-ranging program of mushroom-related subjects. Joined forces between communal, national, and even European-wide initiatives boosted public interest in mushroom picking and associated activities. The continuously growing awareness of mycotourism increased local to international interests in this region and enhanced regional gastronomy and the hotel sector."
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Eaten - delicacy - no health concerns reported.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: It's a fungus.
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
Impetus should be jointly generated by farmers and researchers (as well as politicians) at the interface of an economically oriented production and a scientifically sound ecological and mycological evaluation. Novel and existing truffle orchards should therefore allow the putative impact of experimental management interventions, such as (host) tree thinning and (orchard) soil processing, to be compared with high-resolution monitoring data of micro-climatic conditions and radial stem growth rates of the plantation trees. Isotopic tracing of the fungi–host interaction and source water utilization, together with the investigation of fruit body yield and maturation, may further contribute to the establishment of a protected terroir concept for Tuber melanosporum in most of the world's Mediterranean environments (and for other truffle species in other biogeographic zones). Inoculation techniques and nursery processes should be optimized to control and enhance the success rate of mycorrhized host plants, and truffle production systems should be adapted to dynamic business models that incorporate the putative effects of climate change and a sustainable green technology for energy and water use reduction and retention. The main reason why most of these attempts have not yet been implemented (in Spain and elsewhere) is, in our opinion, simply related to a lack of awareness and connection between farmers and scientists (as well as politicians and conservationists).
Record source
Information about the record source: scientific_pub
Date of publication/issue/production: 2017-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Source Reference(s):
Date of record entry: 2022-12-15