1. Can productivity be predicted knowing plant 

 community type and successional stage? 



2. What are the temperature and precipitation pa- 

 rameters that begin and end mushroom 

 production? 



3. What are the cultural techniques that contribute 

 to optimal mushroom production? 



4. What are the negative and positive effects of 

 land management practices, such as timber 

 harvest, burning, and tree planting? Would any 

 changes in management operations mitigate 

 negative effects? 



5. What is the effect of repeated heavy collection 

 on a site to future mushroom production? 



6. Are there different species or varieties of mo- 

 rels in an area? Are some forms mycorrhizal? 

 Do they respond to management differently? 



7. What are the proportions of different species or 

 races of morels after fires of different intensi- 

 ties, and after tree mortality caused by spruce 

 budworm and bark beetle? 



8. What is the population ecology of the mush- 

 rooms in an area over time? How is genetic 

 variability in the population related to spore spread? 



Figure 8 — Research areas may be 

 restricted entirely from mushroom 

 harvests. 



Conclusions 



Wild edible mushrooms from the forests of the Blue Mountains are being marketed 

 locally, nationally, and around the world. We are just beginning to develop an appreci- 

 ation for the biological and economic value of this special resource. Effective man- 

 agement of the commercial mushroom harvest requires anticipating the demand, the 

 primary locations affected, and potential conflicts (fig. 8). Any regulations for protect- 

 ing the mushroom resource must apportion the harvest fairly. Extensive communica- 

 tion and cooperation among the public, industrial land owners, and governmental 

 agencies is essential. Research and monitoring are important factors in developing 

 strategies that will both protect and promote the Blue Mountain mushroom resource. 



Acknowledgments We thank the following people for their useful contributions and technical review of the 



manuscript: David Pilz, Jane Smith, Randy Molina, and Nan Vance, USDA Forest 

 Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station; and Mike Rassbach and Diane Hilde- 

 brand, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region. Many of the photographs 

 were generously provided by Paula Brooks, botanist, Wallowa-Whitman National For- 

 est and by David Pilz. Our thanks to Lynn Starr of the Blue Mountains Natural Re- 

 source Institute for assistance in editorial review and to Dancing Cranes Graphic Im- 

 ages, La Grande, OR, for content design and layout. 



14 



