The Area Conservation Office, Bhujung, under the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), has carried out a survey of wild mushrooms found in the forests of its jurisdiction.

The survey was conducted to identify the diversity of wild mushroom species, collect data on their distribution and habitat, and create a record of the species found in the conservation area, according to ACAP Bhujung.

Office chief Pramod Raj Regmi said the survey covered three routes: Siurung–Khilapu–Koprong–Thurju–Dudh Pokhari; Thurju–Phurju–Dhom–Rorochho–Bhujung; and Bhujung–Hragun–Pasgaun–Kamagun. The field study took one week to complete.

The survey area lies within Marsyangdi Rural Municipality and Kwhlosothar Rural Municipality of Lamjung district. During the study, mushrooms were found up to Deurali, before reaching Dudh Pokhari, a high-altitude area bordering Lamjung and Manang districts. According to Regmi, mushrooms were recorded at elevations of up to around 4,300 metres above sea level.

Researchers collected information on mushroom conditions, distribution, habitats and biodiversity at every 500-metre elevation interval along the survey routes. “The collected data is currently being analysed. The exact number and details of mushroom species will be known after the study is completed,” Regmi said.

More than 50 mushroom species were found across the three survey routes, he added.

The ACAP team also conducted questionnaire-based surveys with local communities to gather information on edible and inedible mushrooms, including their collection, identification, use and conservation practices. During the interactions, residents shared their experiences, traditional knowledge and suggestions related to mushrooms.

Regmi said the information gathered from local communities would help strengthen biodiversity conservation, promote sustainable use of mushroom resources and support future research.

Basudev Neupane, an assistant natural resource conservation officer of ACAP, said the preliminary study found both edible and non-edible mushroom species in the area. He said the survey, conducted with the participation of local resource persons from Siurung, had created a foundation for documenting mushroom species found within the conservation area.

According to Regmi, the study has documented the number of edible and inedible mushroom species found in the Annapurna region, local practices of mushroom collection and use, their contribution to local livelihoods, and traditional knowledge associated with them.

He said the findings would provide an important basis for preparing scientific records of mushroom species in the conservation area, improving biodiversity research, and designing future programmes for conservation, sustainable utilisation and further study.