In August, Gavriil Melkumov, an employee of the Department of Botany and Mycology of the VSU Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, visited the Republic of Karelia during his one-day expedition. The expedition was carried out as part of the mycotourism framework. It was aimed at studying the species composition of various taxonomic groups of mushrooms in Karelia. The mycological research route included the Akhvenkoski Waterfalls nature reserve and the Ruskeala mountain park. Today, the reserve and mountain park are large natural preservation centres for the species diversity of vascular plants, mosses, lichens, and fungi, as well as landmarks of modern Karelia, near which there are many unique places visited by tourists as part of nature trails.
“Akhvenkoski is the largest waterfall among the cascade of four flat waterfalls, which are called together the Ruskeala waterfalls since this place is close to the village and the Ruskeala mountain park. Another, less common name for the cascade is Tokhminskie waterfalls, it comes from the name of the river. Unlike most northern rivers, the waters of the Tohmajoki River have a very rich brown colour. This is due to the large content of iron and organic compounds that get into the river from the neighbouring swamps,” explained Gavriil Melkumov.
The beautiful area of the Ahvenkoski Waterfalls reserve once attracted not only tourists. In 1972, several scenes of the legendary Soviet film “The Dawns Here Are Quiet” based on the famous novella by Boris Vasiliev, writer and war veteran, were shot on the Tokhmajoki River, next to the waterfall. The Ruskeala mountain park is a natural monument of the Ladoga Karelia and the history of mining, especially marble production.
During the expedition, the scientist identified 37 species of macromycetes and myxomycetes that form fruit bodies on various substrates and act as saprotrophs, parasites, and symbiotrophs. The dominant fungal taxons belong to polypores parasitising on drying and rotting trunks of coniferous and deciduous trees.
“Among the detected fungal taxons, the most common species were wood-destroying fungi, as well as pileated representatives of mycobiota. One of the most amazing mushrooms of Karelia was Hydnellum peckii, commonly known as “the bloody tooth”. A typical feature of this mushroom is bright drops on the fruit body, formed as a result of guttation when it releases excess water after warm and humid weather during the active growth of the basidioma. Representatives of the clavariaceae family of fungi (Calocera adhesive, Ramaria abietina) were also discovered. They have a coral-like shape, and their fruit bodies are brightly coloured. Among the edible mushrooms there were different types of boletus, birch boletus, as well as their “evil twin”, bitter boletus, which causes poisoning if eaten,” said Gavriil Melkumov.
The scientist is planning to continue doing mycotourism in other regions of Russia.
