A rare species of fungi detected by a new environmental DNA technique developed at Aberystwyth University has led to the designation of a new Site of Special Scientific Interest near Birmingham.

The Leasowes Country Park in Halesowen was denoted an SSSI on 7 February after scientists at Aberystwyth University used the innovative method to detect the presence of an unusually high diversity of waxcaps.

Developed by Dr Gareth Griffith, Reader in Mycology at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth, the eDNA technique can reveal the existence of these colourful fungi at any time of year, even in the absence of any mushroom being formed.

Dr Griffith was invited to deploy his new eDNA method on the site by Aberystwyth graduate and head warden of the Leasowes, Antony Ravenscroft.

Dr Griffith said: “I was really pleased that Antony asked me to help explore what waxcaps could be found at The Leasowes using our eDNA method. It’s a great example of universities engaging with citizen scientists and I hope we get the opportunity to deploy the method at other wildlife sites.”

The recording of waxcaps at the site was initiated in 1994 by retired biology lecture Nick Williams. By 2014, 23 species had been recorded, suggesting that the site might qualify for notification as an SSSI.

An initial survey using the eDNA technique by Dr Griffith discovered the presence of a further six species not previously seen fruiting as well as a particularly rare green earthtongue, part of the Microglossum olivaceum species complex.

By 2016, they had discovered not only fruitbodies of M. olivaceum agg. but also a further three additional waxcap species, including the citrine waxcap, hygrocybe citrinovirens which is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

The additional species were instrumental in pushing the species count “over the line” to 28, and leading to the site’s designation.

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