Habitat preferences of Hericium erinaceus in Slovakia

Distribution patterns, ecology and habitats of Hericium erinaceus in Slovakia are presented, together with an indication of its population size and dynamics as driven by the type of substratum the fungus feeds on. Basidiomata have been recorded both on living and dead trees, predominantly on oaks (Quercus spp.) but also on European beech (Fagus sylvatica), and at altitudes ranging from 103 to 753 m, which in Slovakia corresponds to warm hilly and upland beech-oak forests. Standing trunks were a more common substratum than fallen trunks. Although the fungus tends to occur in old-growth forests, nearly half of the observations were from managed forests. Given the observed distribution, we conclude that H. erinaceus is not a strict indicator of intact old-growth forests in Slovakia.