Expert surveys have confirmed that grasslands in Nidderdale are of international and national importance for rare grassland fungi, including waxcaps, highlighting the value of long-established grassland management in the area.

Grassland fungi specialist Steve Hindle surveyed three sites in Nidderdale, recording 62 species of grassland fungi, including 32 waxcap species. Two sites, including the Make it Wild nature reserve at Bank Wood, were described as internationally important, while a third, smaller site was classed as nationally important.

Across all three survey sites, 15 species listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List were recorded, including 14 species assessed as Vulnerable and one species, the glistening waxcap, which is classed as Endangered, meaning it faces an even higher risk of extinction.

At Bank Wood alone, 11 of the species recorded are listed as Vulnerable to Extinction on the IUCN Red List, placing them in the same global risk category as species such as polar bears and giant pandas.

While Nidderdale’s upland grasslands were long thought to have strong potential for important fungi populations, systematic survey work had been limited. These recent surveys are the first to formally document the area’s significance, confirming what conservationists suspected but had not previously been able to verify due to a lack of detailed records.

The findings are based on a single survey visit, and further surveys are expected to reveal additional species.

Dr Kelly Harmar

These results show just how important Nidderdale’s grasslands are. Waxcaps and other grassland fungi only thrive where land has avoided ploughing, artificial fertilisers and pesticides for a very long time. When you see this level of diversity from a single visit, it strongly suggests there is much more still to be discovered.

These fungi depend on continuity. Short turf, low nutrient levels and consistent management over decades allow them to survive. Once that continuity is lost, it is extremely difficult to restore.

Waxcaps are recognised indicators of ancient, unimproved grassland. The UK is internationally important for these fungi due to its wet climate, and northern upland areas such as Nidderdale are particularly valuable because they retain larger areas of long-established grassland.

The surveys were commissioned by the North and East Yorkshire Ecological Data Centre (NEYEDC) and funded by Nidderdale National Landscape through the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme, a government scheme supporting farmers and land managers in protected landscapes. The work forms part of wider efforts to raise awareness of waxcaps and encourage people to record them during the autumn fruiting season. Public records help build a clearer picture of where important grassland fungi occur and support efforts to protect these sites.

Nidderdale National Landscape continues to work with landowners, farmers and conservation partners to identify and protect grasslands that support waxcaps and other rare fungi.