the goan I network
PANAJI
The Goa State Bio-diversity Board has appealed to the general public not to exploit wild mushrooms “Roen Alami” so that the ecologically important species is saved from extinction.
The species of mushroom grows seasonally during monsoons naturally through termite activity on a heap of mud created by termites in forests. These species grow only in association with termites. Due to its delicacy and high nutrition values it is plucked on a large scale by villagers and sold on roadsides.
The Goa Bio-Diversity board has raised concern about this in a press release on Sunday.
“These species play a very important role as a powerful biodegrading fungus in forest and grassland ecosystems converting fifty percent dead plant material on the ground into rich soil. Besides, these mushrooms destroy virus-carrying vectors in forests and keep away diseases affecting humans,” the stated GSBB.
GSBB has stated that each hectare of forest in the Western Ghats has about 810 termite hills. In mixed forests, termites invade between 21 and 79 percent of trees. The Termitomyces fungus in each comb decomposes 167 to 341 kg of organic matter annually. Besides, the mutualistic system creates quarantine by removing virus carrying vectors like ticks on forest floor. These are brought along with dead litter inside the termite hill and composted.
With high demand and increasing price, the traditional puckers have been degrading its sensitive wild habitat, thus causing erosion of its diversity, alleged GSBB.
Till the government declares a total ban on collection and consumption of such mushrooms from wild habitat in future, GSBB appeals to educated consumers not to encourage exploitation of such wild mushrooms by purchasing them and instead patronize the much cheaper, more nutritious and cleaner button mushrooms available in local markets.
Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB) appeals all those involved in plucking, packing, roadside sale, market sale to leave behind at least fifty percent young stages on the termite mounds for conservation of their diversity. GSBB fears that over-exploitation of mushrooms may also result in eruption release of quarantined new forest diseases.
“In present times the consumers are craving ethnic food and the temptation of many to make windfall income without returning anything back to nature. The whole world is now sensitive to anything that can’t be cultivated. Precious Roen Alamis of Goa are thus considered sacred. They need to be seen as blessings of Earth Goddess Santeri and accordingly treated with respect,” the press release further stated.
