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Hazel gloves fungus is only known in Britain from some sites in western Scotland and a few locations in Devon and Cornwall.
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Hazel woodlands have the look and feel of ancient places. They support special lichens, mosses and fungi that are rarely found elsewhere.
Most people think of iconic animals like the red squirrel or capercaillie when they’re asked about protecting threatened species in Scotland.
However, some of the species that need help to survive and prosper are hardly known at all to the public, and some may even appear a little strange. Take the hazel gloves fungus, for
example. Scotland is the UK stronghold for this unusual fungus with its finger- like lobes, which was first discovered in Europe on the island of Mull in 1975. Previously, it was only known in North America where it grows on rhododendrons.
In Scotland, this fungus is confined to ancient stands of Atlantic hazel on the west coast. One of the best recorded Scottish sites is a woodland that hasn’t been coppiced or thinned for many years and therefore contains a lot of deadwood, much of which is hazel. Atlantic hazelwoods are actually one of Scotland’s most ancient woodlands. They’re older by far than our Atlantic
www.snh.gov.uk
oakwoods and older than some of the Caledonian pinewoods. Hazel was one of the earliest woody species – along with birch – to establish along the western edge of Scotland, as far back as 10,000 years ago.
Because of the long time that many hazelwoods have occupied some sites, they’ve acquired some special features. The richness and the glory of the lichens, mosses and fungi in long-established hazelwoods have led to them being described as part of the ‘Celtic rainforest’. The term relates to the mild damp climate, but also refers to the long periods when these woodlands were left to grow unhindered. There are species found in the Atlantic hazelwoods that are better developed and more luxuriant than probably elsewhere in Europe. These include the hazel gloves fungus.
A few of our hazelwoods provide the only Scottish home for the hazel gloves fungus, which is limited to about 25 sites. Now action is being taken, as part of the Species Action Framework and with support from the LEADER
programme, to raise the profile and improve management of the west coast’s hazelwoods where it survives. “We aim to work with landowners to encourage them to manage and expand the hazelwoods,” explained Gordon Gray Stephens, project officer for the Atlantic Hazel Action Group. “Grazing animals are a natural part of our woodlands, and grazing is the recommended way to keep our Atlantic hazelwoods in good shape. “There will also be opportunities for locals to get involved through a series of free training events, as well as support for volunteer surveying and monitoring. These woods are a Scottish speciality and the hazel gloves is a rare but important part of that environment.” You can find out more about the project by contacting Gordon Gray Stephens on 01852 500 366 or emailing
gordon.graystephens@
scottishnativewoods.org.uk. For more information about hazel gloves go to
www.snh.gov.uk/protecting- scotlands-nature/species-action- framework/species-action-list/ hazel-gloves.
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