Loyo (Boletus loyo)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 142510227

Conservation of threatened fungi in Chile.

Boletus loyo is an edible bolete mushroom of high culinary and cultural importance for the Mapuche people of Southern Chile. It has been collected and eaten for centuries. Recently, logging and forestry projects at large, have threatened the status of the species. More worrying, however, is the effect of overharvesting. Wheras the species was once abundant and specimens were large, it is now scarce and very small when harvested. It is specific to the Nothofagus forests of the Temperate Southern Rainforest, that is still under threat from hydroelectric dams and other highly impacting economic activities such as roads and pasture lands.

We want to determine whether out hypothesis of serious overharvesting is correct, and educate collectors so it stops.