Impact of local and regional climate variability on fungi production from Pinus sylvestris forests in Soria, Spain

Abstract

The cultivation of edible fungal species represents a profitable agricultural sector and an interesting climatic‐impact oriented topic. This article focuses on Boletus edulis that develops in Pinus sylvestris forests in Soria (Castile and León in the Iberian Peninsula). This work aims at evaluating the extent to which the climate variability modulates the fungi production, both at local and regional/synoptic scales. With this purpose, the relationship between B. edulis production and various climatic variables such as precipitation, temperature, soil moisture and soil temperature has been explored based on observations during 1995–2014 over the study area as well as reanalysis data. The study evidences the relative importance of humidity in the B. edulis production both at the surface and the subsurface. In general, it can be said that wet conditions early in the production season together with cooler summers and mild autumns enhance the B. edulis growth. Evidences of the particular relevance of soil conditions at the beginning of the production season on the total annual production have been provided. In addition, the age of the trees that host the fungi species seems to play as well a pivotal role in the amounts of production obtained. Such a detailed analysis, including local relevant climatic information along with the investigation of the large‐scale features that impact the production of edible fungi species has not yet been developed over this region.