10 



Mycologia 



at that elevation. Trees growing in an unfavorable environment 

 are invariably more seriously diseased. To attempt the develop- 

 ment of a pure larch forest on low undrained soil is to give it 

 over to serious decay. 



Until the time comes to practice silviculture in the higher eleva- 

 tions the search for the greatest altitudinal range for our common 

 forest fungi is chiefly of mycological interest. Recent studies 

 show that many of the species found at all elevations are of 

 greatest economic importance at particular elevations and in par- 

 ticular forest zones as influenced by physical environment. It is 

 entirely possible in restricted areas to group the forest fungi of 

 greatest economic importance with regard to amount of damage 

 done according to the different forest zones. For example, in 

 northern Idaho, Fomes pini, Polyporus schweinitsii, Fomes 

 annosus, Echinodontium tinctorium, Armillaria mellea are of far 

 greater importance in point of damage done in the white pine 

 zone than in any other. The problem then is to search out the 

 factors which govern the prevalence and distribution of fungi 

 in the several forest types and balance them in such a way as to 

 produce the best possible results in tree growth. 



Fungi Collected at High Elevations 



The following is a list of fungi either collected or observed at 

 high elevations in the principal mountain regions of the North- 

 west between 44 ° to 49 0 latitude and 109 0 to 124 0 longitude. 

 From the fact that most of the common genera are represented, a 

 special and detailed search at different seasons would, no doubt, 

 reveal a far greater number of species than here recorded. The 

 species here listed with the exception of those entirely confined 

 to high elevations have not been found in abundance but occur 

 only occasionally. Although numbered among them are many of 

 of the most destructive species of lower forest zones, they have 

 not been found to cause any great damage to forest growth at 

 high elevations over large areas. It is proposed to add to this 

 list as the explorations continue. 



