Is climate change shifting magic mushroom season in the UK?
In 2021 study it was recognised that high moisture and moderate temperatures are the ideal settings for mushroom growth, suggesting that droughts dry the soil, meaning that less plants and fungi have an opportunity to survive. Water transportation is pivotal to mycelium growth, and it is widely accepted that an increase in drought affects interactions between plants and fungi.
In 2022, the UK experienced an extremely hot summer with highs of 40.3 °C (104 .5°F) in some places in England. The heat was constant, and 2022 was not only the UK’s warmest year on record. The country also experienced it’s driest summer since 1976, entering an official drought during August, resulting in dry, brown landscapes and water shortages in specific regions such as Kent. Water shortages were merely the beginning, and the indirect effects of the drought are starting to come into play as Autumn is now in full swing.
Original Article (Leafie):
Is climate change shifting magic mushroom season in the UK?
Artwork Fair Use: Ilona M. Otto, Jonathan F. Donges, Roger Cremades, Avit Bhowmik, Richard J. Hewitt, Wolfgang Lucht, Johan Rockström, Franziska Allerberger, Mark McCaffrey, Sylvanus S. P. Doe, Alex Lenferna, Nerea Morán, Detlef P. van Vuuren, and Hans Joachim Schellnhuber
