How Japan’s matsutake delicacy ended up on Red List 2020

Climate change impacts our lives in ways big and small. We usually think of the most extreme effects of global warming, such as harsher weather and rising sea levels. Yet, it can also cause damage in smaller and more subtle ways.

Food production is one important example. Rising temperatures and changing climates mean that areas that were once suitable for a particular crop may no longer be so in the future .

One of Japan’s famous foods threatened with extinction

Japan’s famous matsutake mushrooms were added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List in July. The Red List details the conservation status of various species worldwide, including those that are close to extinction. Matsutake, along with Okinawa’s coconut crabs, were both listed under the “vulnerable” status.

Matsutake are some of the most prized mushrooms in Japan. They go for high prices and are often used in autumn dishes. Their decline seems to be related to their natural environment. Matsutake are dependent on cooler temperatures to grow. Japanese farmers have complained about the weather, causing delays in finding matsutake mushrooms that are ready for the market. Decreases in supplies of matsutake in 2019 caused prices to increase significantly.

Studies link environmental changes and supply decline

Japan imports matsutake from other countries such as China. Findings in a 2012 study by the Chinese Academy of Sciences seem to be in line with Japanese farmer’s concerns. The study did not conclusively put the blame on climate change. However, it did list climate fluctuations as one factor for decreased production. The study found that mushroom fruiting for matsutake occurred later than usual, being affected by higher temperatures and reduced rain.

Pine bark beetles are thought to be another cause. Nematodes that leech off of pine bark beetles can cause infection in the red pines that matsutake mushrooms grow on. Bark beetles are an example of species that may grow more numerous because of climate change. Warmer temperatures cause more stress for trees and create better conditions for bark beetles to multiply.

Climate changes and human actions can diminish significant resources

Climate issues are not the only potential cause for matsutake numbers going down. How people gather the mushrooms and tend the forests also have an effect. Fallen leaves and tree branches are not gathered as much in these areas compared to before, which impacts the environment that matsutake grow in. Additionally, scraping soil off when gathering younger mushrooms also has a negative impact on the matsutake fungus.

The exact reasons behind species vulnerability and extinction are often too complex to attribute to any one cause. There is no direct link between matsutake decreases and climate change. However, there is credible evidence that warmer temperatures delay their fruiting and impact the environments they grow in. These environments can also be affected by how the mushrooms are gathered. Both potential causes show the complexity of environments and how changes to one part disrupt the whole. The effects of both climate change and other environmental issues can take away important food and cultural properties that we take for granted.