The urban fungus flora in the Karlsruhe area and how it changes

Bereicherung der Karlsruher Pilzflora durch den aus Australien stammenden Tintenfischpilz

Pilztagebuch von Paul Stricker

The fungus flora of Karlsruhe has been investigated since the 1920s, documented by a number of publications, specimens in herbaria and above all by diary entries. The Karlsruhe teacher Paul Stricker, who had been documenting the occurrence of macrofungi in Karlsruhe since 1927, was particularly active.

In this long-term project, an overall list of species for the urban fungal flora of Karlsruhe is being planned and current collections are being compared with previous ones, in an attempt to document man-made changes. Anthropogenic changes are documented through the loss of species and through introduced species. A well-known of many other fungi that have migrated to Karlsruhe is the squid fungus (Clathrus archeri) from Australia. In addition, the relation of exotic tree species to native ectomycorrhizal species are documented. The investigations, which have been carried out since 2003, have so far been supported, among other things, by amateur mycologists of the Naturwissenschaftlicher Verein Karlsruhe  (PiNK) and by project funds from Naturschutzfonds Baden-Württemberg, Klimopass campaign Baden-Württtemberg (for studies in ectomycorrhizae), and by smaller grants, e.g. from Gartenbauamt Karlsruhe. Studies in the biodiversity of Northern Badenia parks also touch on this research emphasis.