About This Project
During one of my field trip for collection of mushrooms I found very rare wild mushrooms in the world (Campanophyllum proboscideum) and also newly described Russula sp. Therefore, I believe Royal Botanical Park (RBP) holds some of the undescribed species of the mushrooms for the science which needs to be explored. I have done few survey but it needs more vagarious survey to tell in details what fungi the forest there holds. I plan for detail survey of fungi in RBP.
Ask the Scientists
Join The DiscussionWhat is the context of this research?
I have been working in National Mushroom Centre, looking after Myco-diversity program and I have collection of over 2000 wild mushroom specimens from different parts of Bhutan. But the collection has always be kind of random and the detail inventory has been lacking. The only detail survey/inventory of fungi in Bhutan was done in in Royal Botanical Garden, Serbithang for 2019-2020 and 2022 mushroom season. This details survey proved that many of the mushrooms are not accounted and during some of the field trip in Royal Botanical Park, Lamperi; I found many unique mushrooms specimens which are rare in the world (Campanophyllum proboscideum or are recently described ( Russula purpureoverrucosa). Therefore, this detail survey will solve the problems mentioned above.
What is the significance of this project?
Fungi is understudied kingdom and is more so if not related with food and medicine. But every fungus has its own propose and function which will never be understood if we do not study them in details. Therefore, before we know what is their function in nature and in human life, it is vital we know what fungus are there in our ecosystem. Understanding this, I started detail inventory of the wild mushrooms of Bhutan in Royal Botanical Garden and now my plan to replicate the same in Royal Botanical Park which has different habitat and also it has proved to host many unique mushroom species during my random survey. Therefore, the planned detail survey/ inventory of wild mushrooms in RBP will bring out some/few of the unaccounted mushrooms species to the science.
What are the goals of the project?
1. The very goal of the project is to document the detail myco-diversity in Royal Botanical Park since Park has the documentation of Flora and Fauna but no information on the fungi biodiversity.
2. Publish the paper on its finding and open the door of information to the mycology world on the myco-diversity of our pristine virgin forest
3. Basically to find out if any fungi are hiding that are not described by the mycology world to date (discovery of new species to the science).
4. To find and domesticate some of the potential saprophytic mushrooms such as Flammulina velutipes.
5. To understand the ecology and ecosystem of the fungi in the garden with its host flora and fauna.
Budget
Since I have laboratory and some of the basic equipment but I do not have the fund to travel to the park and do the detail collections. The park lies about 35 km form my Laboratory thus I need some fund to aid me during the collection and I have to bring back the specimen to identify and process the specimen for the herbarium. Once in the Laboratory, I have an old microscope nut I need to change some of the infected lens to be able to study the specimens. The materials required in mushroom specimen collection in the field and the materials required in the in the laboratory for the identification and presevation of the specimen will be purchased.
I have done basic work such as mapping the area thus now I have to do weekly detail survey to be able to collect all the mushrooms/ fungi growing in the park for about 7 months where Bhutan will have rain. Winter in Bhutan is very cold and dry thus there will be no mushroom fruiting thus is excluded.
Project Timeline
The mushroom season starts in Bhutan slowly from April to May depending on the rainfall thus the mushroom survey will start with the season. Since winter in Bhutan is very dry and long, there will a gap and it will continue for next season. During my experience in working with wild fungi; some fungus does not fruit annually therefore, to understand the myco-diversity in details; the inventory has to be done at least for two consecutive seasons (2023-2024).
Nov 30, 2024
To add many new specimens to Bhutan Biodiversity Specimen Portal
Nov 30, 2024
To document the myco-diversity in Royal Botanical Park, Lamperi
Oct 15, 2025
To add new species to mycology world if found any or the new species to science.
Meet the Team
Affiliates
Sabitra Pradhan
I am Sabitra Pradhan and I have Diploma in Agriculture (2006-2008) and BSc in Agriculture 92015-2017) from Collage of Natural Resources.
I have been working in National Mushroom Centre since July 2008 to date and I have been basically looking after Myco-diversity Program: the main mandates are: 1. To studying myco-diversity of the country and to provide the information to the public and policy maker
2. To train the wild mushroom harvester on sustainable harvesting methods and the habitat management
3. To create awareness on edible and poisonous mushrooms.
My interest to join my first Career in National Mushroom Centre was because I knew nothing on Mushrooms except two mushrooms that my mom cooked at home. Then I opted to join myco-diversity Program because I wish to know how many mushrooms are there in Bhutan( still struggling) due to lack of guide and fund. But now with 15 years of roller costal career; I am confident I can climb any mountains and walk any valley if given with time and fund to meet my best friend( fungi). My first hand training on mushroom identification was in 2009 in Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Costa Rica by Professor Milagro Mata, then I coauthored the book on "Fungi Of Bhutan". Then I got short training on DNA extraction and Phylogenetic Analysis in National Science Museum Tsukuba Research Centre, Japan in 2013 and 2020 by Dr. Kentaro Hosaka. But I have learned a lot more on working in the field collecting and identifying the specimen in my laboratory with my old microscope and collected and identified more than 2000 specimen and preserved in herbarium (Biological Specimen Collections of Bhutan - View User Profile (bhutanbiodiversity.net). I have coauthored another book in "Poisonous mushrooms of Bhutan" with Japanese mycologist (Dr. Eiji Nagasawa).
Lab Notes
Nothing posted yet.
Additional Information
The Royal Botanical Park has the documentation on its flora and Fauna but it has no information on its myco-diversity, thus this will contribute the addition information of fungi to the Park documentation and also to the country.
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