A Reports on Wild Mushrooms Diversity from Mid-Himalayas of Bharsar, Uttarakhand

Introduction

Fungi are non-photosynthetic eukaryotes that obtain nutrients through saprophytic or parasitic modes (Ainsworth et al., 1973; Webster and Weber, 2007) [1,46] . Macrofungi, which produce visible fruiting bodies such as ascocarps and basidiocarps, represent approximately 10% of global fungal diversity (Rossman, 1994) [26] . Belonging mainly to Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, these fungi serve vital ecological functions as decomposers and mycorrhizal partners. While some mushrooms are edible or medicinal, others are toxic or inedible (Upadhyaya and Upadhyaya, 2019) [38] . Their identification is typically based on macroscopic traits such as cap shape, gill attachment and spore color (Singer, 1986; Phillips, 2010) [34,25] along with habitat preferences (Arora, 2008; Karwa and Rai, 2010) [3,15] . Nutritionally, mushrooms are rich in digestible protein (10-40% dry weight) and bioactive compounds with antimicrobial, antidiabetic and cardioprotective effects (Chang, 1991; Bahl, 1983; Vaz et al., 2012) [8,4,39] . In India, mushroom cultivation began in the 1960s with ICAR's support and now includes species like Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus spp. and Calocybe indica (Singh et al., 2011; ICAR, 2020) [35,13] . The northwestern Himalayan region, including Uttarakhand, is known for its macrofungal richness due to altitude and vegetation diversity (Vishwakarma et al., 2011) [41] , though several areas remain poorly explored (Bhatt et al., 1999; Das and Sharma, 2005) [5,11] . Bharsar, situated in the mid-hills of Pauri Garhwal, is characterized by temperate forests and diverse tree species such as Quercus, Rhododendron, Juglans and Cedrus, which support a variety of wild mushrooms including Ramaria and Clavaria (Bisht and Sharma, 2014) [7] . The area features numerous native species like Corylus jacquemontii, Quercus leucotrichophora, Q. floribunda, Q. semecarpifolia, Aesculus indica, Rhododendron arboreum, Juglans regia, Alnus nepalensis, Cedrus deodara, Lyonia ovalifolia, Pinus roxburghii and Taxus baccata sub sp. wallichiana (Bisht and Sharma, 2014) [7] . The term "Bharsar," meaning "land rich in natural resources," reflects its ecological abundance. Although previous studies have documented plant diversity in this region (Bisht and Sharma, 2014; Chauhan et al., 2014) [7,10] , macrofungal surveys are lacking. Due to heavy rainfall during the study period, fungal collection was partially limited. This study aims to document the macrofungal diversity of Bharsar under studied forest ecosystems. Specimens were identified using field and morphological characteristics (Semwal et al., 2018) [29] .

Materials and Methods

Study area

The present study was conducted in the Bharsar region, situated in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India. This area lies within the temperate climatic zone of the Western Himalayan region, which is known for its rich biodiversity and varied ecological conditions. The study area is located between 30°03′24″ to 30°03′38″ N latitude and 78°59′10″ to 79°00′16″ E longitude, with an elevation ranging from 1800 to 2300 meters above mean sea level, recorded using a GPS enabled mobile application based on GIS technology (Fig. 1).

Collection of samples

Field surveys were conducted from August 2024 to June 2025 in various forested sites and altitudinal zones of the Bharsar region to assess wild macrofungal diversity. Fruiting bodies were collected using scissors, digging tools and hunting knives, with fragile and woody specimens carefully packed in sterile biodegradable bags or aluminum foil to avoid mechanical damage. Soil and debris were gently removed in the field using a soft brush, and highresolution photographs were taken with a Narzo 50A mobile camera for preliminary identification. In the laboratory, samples were disinfected, labeled and examined. Macroscopic features such as size, shape, surface texture, color (referenced using the Methuen Handbook of Colour; Kornerup and Wanscher, 1978) [18] , odor, taste, bruising reactions and spore print color were recorded. Additionally, ecological data including forest type, dominant vegetation, substrate, slope and altitude were documented to aid in understanding species distribution and habitat preferences.

Result and Discussion

A total of sixty wild macro fungal species were collected and identified from the Bharsar region of Uttarakhand during the academic year two thousand twenty-four to two thousand twenty-five(Fig. 7). These species, belonging to thirty-two families and ten fungal orders, were found growing on diverse substrates such as open fields, hardwoods, conifers, leaf litter and dead logs (Fig. 5) across altitudes ranging from eighteen hundred to twenty-three hundred meters (Fig. 6). Most fruiting bodies appeared [27]

Conclusion

In the present investigation, extensive surveys were conducted during 2024-2025 at various locations around the Bharsar region of Pauri Garhwal to document the diversity of wild mushrooms. A total of sixty species were collected and identified based on macroscopic characteristics such as cap and stem shape, coloration, gill arrangement, texture, spore print and substrate preference, with identification supported by standard taxonomic literature. While many of the recorded species resemble known edible types, their edibility cannot be confirmed solely through morphological traits, as some morphologically similar mushrooms may be toxic. Therefore, consumption should be avoided until molecular or biochemical identification is performed. The study highlights the Bharsar region rich macrofungal diversity and its ecological and potential economic significance. research, including molecular analysis, essential to validate species identity and to explore their applications in food, medicine and conservation efforts.

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