The species accumulation curve for agarics and boleti from a Caledonian pinewood

An assessment of the mycological quality of a site can only be based upon a good species list. A key question concerns the way in which a species list for a site grows over time. This is investigated using data from a Caledonian pine forest, a habitat of high conservation importance in Britain. The species accumulation curve is examined, together with the contribution played by uncommon species to the growth of the curve. After 21 years 502 species have been recorded from the site. Most of these have been observed on only a few occasions, and whilst the accumulation of Caledonian pinewood indicator species appears to be levelling off, the total species accumulation curve still shows no convincing signs of reaching a limiting value. Twenty one years of recording are insufficient reliably to estimate the fungal biodiversity of the site.