Spring Fungi of the Sierra Nevada

Biology 315

LOCATION: The Sierra Nevada Field Camp of San Francisco State University, Sierra Co., CA, on Hwy 49 west of Yuba Pass and northeast of Sierra City (one mile from Bassetts).

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Dennis E. Desjardin, Systematic Mycologist,

Professor of Biology, San Francisco State University.
Telephone: (415) 338-2439
FAX: (415) 338-2295; e-mail: ded@sfsu.edu
http://www.mycena.sfsu.edu/

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Students will be introduced to the different kinds of mushrooms and other large fungi that occur in the spring in the Sierra Nevada. Emphasis will be placed on the analysis of macro- and micromorphological features, as well as ecological roles, to aid in the identification of taxa. The daily class routine consists of an 8:30-10:30 am lecture followed by a field trip until approx. 3:00 pm. Transportation on the field trips will be by car pooling. Upon return to the camp, collections will be examined and identified in the laboratory (3:30-6:00 pm) in collaboration with the instructor and a knowledgeable graduate student assistant. All equipment, microscope slides, cover slips and reagents required for accurate determination of specimens will be provided. In the evenings, several lectures and slide shows will be presented, and the laboratory will be open for additional work on collections. If sufficient quantities of edible fungi are collected, they will be prepared for consumption and served to the class by the camp's chef.

Participants should plan to arrive Sunday afternoon, June 6, in time to attend an orientation lecture Sunday evening at 8:00 pm. The last class meeting will be 12:00 noon, Friday, 11 June.

OPTIONAL TEXTBOOKS:

  • HOW TO IDENTIFY MUSHROOMS TO GENUS I: Macroscopic Features by David Largent
  • HOW TO IDENTIFY MUSHROOMS TO GENUS III: Microscopic Features by David Largent et al.
Both of these books are published by Mad River Press, 141 Carter Lane, Eureka CA 95501-9528, [(707) 443-2947] and must be ordered directly from the publisher. They are not available in local bookstores!

KEYS: Photocopies of "Keys to the Spring Fungi of the Sierra Nevada" written by Dr. Dennis E. Desjardin may be purchased from the instructor at the Field Camp (approx. $12). Other references will be available in the laboratory, including monographs of selected genera, common field guides, picture books, etc.


REQUIRED EQUIPMENT: Collecting basket; wax paper; a sturdy knife; a small hand cultivator or garden trowel (for digging truffles); a pair of fine forceps; a 10X hand lens.

Comprehensive list of fungi collected over the past 17 years of the course.
Class Schedule Photographs

CREDIT: The course carries one unit of college credit and may be taken for a letter grade or Credit/No Credit.

REGISTRATION: All registration is handled by the Camp Manager, and if possible, should be completed two weeks prior to the beginning of the course. To recieve a brochure or registration material please email Mr. James Steele at jsteele@sfsu.edu, or contact him at the address below.

NOTE: Please register early! Last year's class of 23 students filled up early and many potential participants had to be turned away. If weather conditions are uncooperative, a decision on whether or not to cancel the course will be made two weeks before the course begins.

Please direct all questions concerning registration procedures and fees to:

Mr. James Steele, Sierra Nevada Field Camp Manager,
Department of Biology, San Francisco State University,
1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 94132
Email: jsteele@sfsu.edu
Evenings phone: 415-738-1814

In June of 1982, Dr. Harry D. Thiers held the first Spring Fungi of the Sierra Nevada course (Biol. 315) at the Field Campus of San Francisco State University. Since its inception, the course has been taught by a number of professional mycologists:
1982-1989 - Dr. Harry D. Thiers, SFSU
1990 - Dr. Roy E. Halling, New York Botanical Garden
1991-1992 - Dr. Dennis E. Desjardin, SFSU
1993 - Dr. Andrew S. Methven, Southern Illinois University
1994-2004 - Dr. Dennis E. Desjardin, SFSU

June 2004 marks the 23rd anniversary of Biol. 315, Spring Fungi of the Sierra Nevada. Every year since 1982, we have kept a list of species collected during the course, and these lists provide the baseline data upon which I have used to write a series of Keys. To date, the list totals 425 species of fungi, most of which are included in the Keys. Voucher specimens for most taxa are deposited at SFSU. In spring of 1985, Dr. Thiers and I wrote the first incarnation of Keys to aid in determining the fleshy fungi that occur during spring in the vicinity of the Field Campus and Yuba Pass, Sierra Co. Herb Saylor helped at this time by writing Keys to the hypogeous fungi. In 1995, Kris Shanks and I updated the Keys to include all of the species found since 1985 and to reflect modern nomenclature and taxonomic concepts. Over the past several years I have rewritten the Keys to include additional taxa collected and a few taxa inadvertently left out. The latest revision contains Keys for the determination of 385 taxa of macromycetes, including 300 Basidiomycetes, 81 Ascomycetes, and 4 fleshy Zygomycetes. In addition, a list of 40 Myxomycetes is provided.
The Checklist of Spring Fungi of the Sierra Nevada represents all species collected by the participants in Biol. 315 from 1982 to 2000. Over the past 4 years I have annotated which of the species we collected each year, and these are indicated in the checklist. In 1995 we collected 138 taxa; in 1996, 148 taxa; in 1997, 173 taxa (a particularly wet spring); in 1998, 168 taxa; in 1999, 159 taxa were collected; and in 2000, 141 taxa were collected. It is apparent from the checklist that not every taxon is collected every year; that many taxa on the list have not been collected over the past 6 years; and that a number of new taxa are added every year. Although the area had been extensively collected during the spring over the previous 13 years by no less than 25 participants each year, in 1995 we added 16 new reports to the list; in 1996 we added 19 new reports; in 1997 we added 18 new reports; in 1998 we added 18 new reports; in 1999 we added 9 new reports; whereas in 2000 we added 7 new reports. The checklist keeps growing with rarely encountered taxa, although there are almost 100 species that are encountered nearly every year.
Keep watching this site. Eventually the Keys to Spring Fungi of the Sierra Nevada will be on-line, with most taxa linked to photographs and descriptions. Until then, enjoy this site and consider taking my week-long course the second week of June.

April 2004
Dennis E. Desjardin
Professor of Biology, SFSU

Last updated: April 16th, 2004

pagepeasant:Amy Honan (ahonan@sfsu.edu)