Fungimap: Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Fungimap.

What if I am not sure of the identification.

Easy - If in doubt - leave it out. It is very important that all records are correctly identified. So far the level of accuracy (as indicated by photos sent in) is extremely high (near 99% correct!). In order to maintain this excellent situation, please omit any records where you are not sure of the identification (or else make sure that you send a photo and note that the record is doubtful).

Why are the target species common?

The simple answer is so that you have a chance of finding a reasonable number of the species in your area, and are likely to see at least some target species on any fungal foray. The targets have also been chosen so that many are illustrated in one book (A Field Companion to Australian Fungi by Bruce Fuhrer). On a field trip to Mount Buffalo approximately 90 species of macrofungi were recorded in three days of surveys - but only a few target species - so don't worry if it's taking you some time to find targets. Many fungi appear quite sporadically (from year to year, and in terms of the time of year) - particularly due to our highly variable climate. Repeated visits to sites will continually yield new finds.

Are old records wanted?

Some recorders have asked if it is worth sending in old records - the answer is YES. Particularly for the fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), an exotic species, we are interested in when the species first occurred in your area. Even a rough time (such as early 1950s) is useful. For native species, old records may indicate that a species has disappeared, as might be the case after subsequent clearing.

What is a record?

In the Fungimap database a record is a sighting of one species from one locality from one month. So, we keep as separate records sightings of the same species from the same spot but in different months. Where you have seen a species over a number of days or weeks in one month, give the date of first sighting (which is the date the record is entered under), and then other times seen that month (which are included as additional information for that record).

How close can records be?

Our mapping system is based on latitude/longitude, and will separate individual records as close as 1 second of latitude or longitude. but as a general guide, occurrences more than l km apart (and certainly 10 km) are worth recording.

Last modified on 7 August 2003