2003 Annual Report of Fungal Collections from Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Gabel, Audrey; Ebbert, Elaine

Thirty specimens representing seventeen species were collected on 7-22-03. Twenty-two specimens representing seventeen species were collected on 8-27-03. A total of twenty-seven different species were collected. Additional specimens, listed at the end of this report were observed, but not collected. Forty-three percent of species were lichens, commonly collected on rocks especially in the Green Valley area and immediately below. Lichens are able to drydown and rehydrate when moisture is available to survive dry conditons well. Two species, Lassalia papulosa and L. pensylvanica are unusual. Members of the order Aphyllophorales, which are usually woody and contain very litle moisture represent 36% of the species. These too survive dry conditions. The order Agaricales which includes fungi that contain 80-90% water was poorly represented. Only two species were collected. July and August have been hot and dry throughout the hills and with few exceptions, collecting has not been good. We believe that with adequate moisture and collecting earlier during the summer, a greater diversity of fungi would be seen. The Lafferty Gulch and lower Blackberry Trail areas have potential for excellent collecting. Numbered collection sites are shown on the map and each specimen collected or observed has a site number for location purposes.