Birmensdorf,
26.11.2012
Drought affects Mediterranean truffle harvest
An international research team under the lead of Ulf
Büntgen and Simon Egli from the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, now for
the first time link a continuous decline of the Périgord truffle (Tuber melanosporum) with long-term
Mediterranean summer drying. Their ecological findings at the interface of
climatology, dendrochronology and mycology were published online November 27th
2012 in "Nature Climate Change".
Comparison
of annual truffle harvests from the most important production regions in northeastern
Spain (Aragon), southern France (Périgord), and northern Italy (Piedmont and
Umbria) with meteorological observations since the 1970s reveals a significant
relationship between summer climate and the subsequent winter truffle yield. At
the same time was the team able to detect a distinct association between the Périgord
black truffle, clearly ranging among the world’s most exclusive delicacies, and
the annual tree rings of its symbiotic host vegetation. Above average rainfall
together with lower temperatures between June and August
not only enhance oak growth but also stimulate truffle fruiting from November-February.
Warm and dry summers, however, negatively affect the productivity and
functioning of Mediterranean forest ecosystems.
A Swiss future for Périgord truffles?
Considering
a variety of climate models, the researches predict incessant Mediterranean summer
drying until the end of the 21st century, associated with a continuation of
fading Spanish, French and Italian truffle harvests. At the time, the team
emphasizes that the observed impacts of global climate change are particularly
severe across the Mediterranean Basin, whereas forest ecosystems north of the
Alpine arc still benefit from slightly warmer but not drier conditions, and may
even transform into more suitable habitats for both, natural and cultivated
truffles.
This outlook
coincides with recent evidence of a general fungi increase in Switzerland,
together with the unexpectedly rich occurrence of Burgundy truffles (Tuber aestivum) in southern Germany. Hence,
truffle cultivation in more temperate Central European environments north of
the Alps will likely become more important under projected climate change –
economically and ecologically.
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Causes for the continuous decline in
truffle production during the past 40 years were so far not known. This
knowledge gap not only resulted in local uncertainty within the traditional
Spanish (Aragón and Catalonia), French (Périgord), and Italian (Piedmont and
Umbria) production regions, but also triggered a global prize inflation of this
exclusive delicacy. With a price of up to
2,000€/kg the Périgord truffle ranges among the world’s most expensive gourmet
foods. A better understanding of growth-climate interactions of truffles is of
high scientific and direct economic interest. The course of future truffle
harvests will likely affect the economy of rural Mediterranean
areas.
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Scientific publication
Büntgen, U; Egli, S; Camarero, J.J.; Fischer, E.M.;
Stobbe, U.; Kauserud, H.; Tegel, W; Sproll, L.; Stenseth, N.C. (2012): Drought-induced Périgord black truffle
decline. Nature Climate Change, online.
Contact
Links
Further reading
- Büntgen, U.; Kauserud, H.; Egli, S. (2012): Linking mushroom productivity and phenology to climate variability (PDF). Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 10: 14-19.
- Stobbe, U.; Büntgen, U.; Sproll, L.; Tegel, W.; Egli, S.; Fink, S. (2012):
Spatial distribution and ecological variation of re-discovered German
truffle habitats (PDF). Fungal Ecology 5: 591-599.
- Büntgen,
U.; Tegel, W.; Egli, S.; Stenseth, N.C.
(2011): Truffles and climate change. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
9: 150-151.
- Büntgen,
U.; Egli, S.; Tegel, W.; Stobbe, U.; Sproll, L.; Elburg, R.; Peter, M.; Nievergelt, D.;
Cherubini, P.; Stenseth, N.C. (2012): Illuminating
the mysterious world of truffles. Frontiers
in Ecology and the Environment doi: 10.1890/12.WB.021
- Kauserud,
H.; Heegaard, E.; Büntgen, U.; Halvorsen, R.; Egli, S.; Senn-Irlet, B.; Greilhuber, I., Dämon, W.; Sparks, T.; Nordén, J.; Høiland, K.; Kirk,
P.; Semenov, M.; Boddy, L.; Stenseth, N.C. (2012): Warming-induced
shift in European mushroom fruiting phenology. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA 109:
14488-14493.
