Arb-Mycota what do you want from books?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I've avoided asking this question for fear of being laughed off the forum!

 

I intend to write a book entitled Arb-Mycota a book thats strictly for us arbs, something to fill what is at present a massive void. There are so few books on the subject and I wonder what you think is lacking in the ones you have?

 

If you could ask an author for additional stuff to that currently avaliable what would you ask for?

 

what do you want or need from such a book?

 

Do you want references style books or field portable books with need to know info?

 

Or reference books that cost a firtune and dare not take from the office to the site?

 

Would you be interested in the red data list species for ecology conservation for example?

 

i am genuinely interested in what ALL of you want from a book of this kind.

 

your requests, questions, needs, desires are all apppreciated.

[TArrryan]

Laugh!! quite the opposite, I would have a great respect for anyone undertaking such a endeavour.

 

Personally I am the type of person who has a large reference book at home that has as many species as possible and a smaller handbook with common species that I will probably encounter on a day to day basis.

But if I had to pick between the two I would choose to have a smaller handbook that gave detailed information on the common species.

Obviously information about season, size, colour etc all go without saying, but I would really like information on the effect they have on the trees they inhabit.

 

Hope this helps

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Laugh!! quite the opposite, I would have a great respect for anyone undertaking such a endeavour.

 

Personally I am the type of person who has a large reference book at home that has as many species as possible and a smaller handbook with common species that I will probably encounter on a day to day basis.

But if I had to pick between the two I would choose to have a smaller handbook that gave detailed information on the common species.

Obviously information about season, size, colour etc all go without saying, but I would really like information on the effect they have on the trees they inhabit.

 

Hope this helps

 

Yes I was thinking along the lines of rot types I.e brown rot white rot, soft rot, simaltaneous, and ability to switch modes, as well as n aggressive rating on certain hosts, like hispidus on ash, rigidiporus on poplar etc

[gingertreeninja]

i think its a great idea. i am sick of cross referencing between two or three books to end up throwing them at the wall and picking up a bottle of wine cause none of them are arb related. a good book that can be taken into the field would be a god send, as for the bigger reference book that can be your next best seller after you make your millions from a very grateful arb community

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

i think its a great idea. i am sick of cross referencing between two or three books to end up throwing them at the wall and picking up a bottle of wine cause none of them are arb related. a good book that can be taken into the field would be a god send, as for the bigger reference book that can be your next best seller after you make your millions from a very grateful arb community

 

 

Now i am going to say something here and this is gospel, not bothered about the profit nor the rep, all I want is to help arbs like me who like me want and need a decent reference for this, because I have found this subject the hardest to find information on, and it just needs sorting out so bad, its a disgrace.

 

I spend every minute I get out in the woods, not just cos i love it but literaly doing dectective work and making observations so we can all get some decent real life not so tech lab info, but adding in the tech lab info as well. This info just isnt written anywhere, I know cos Ive tried to hunt it down myself in the interst of learning!

 

fact is we know so little, and that needs sorting out and fast. This isnt an easy project, but I do love a project i can get my teeth into and I am working on it!

[gingertreeninja]

i hope you didnt think i was suggesting you were in it for the money old chap! i know from your posts you really want to make a difference and i think you have a good idea, good luck and keep up the good work

[TArrryan]

Thinking about it for the past half hour and i think a field guide would be the better option to start off with. firstly its simpler than a full blown reference book, you can focus on the common fungi and get their details correct and perfect how you want to present the information. later on once you are happy with the field guide you can start the larger reference book and make updates to the field guide as new information becomes available... ah ham how you go about this is up to your of course I just got a bit carried away there

[armchairarborist]

could do with something showing the different stages of each fb development, a tall order i know but they look so different in some cases, also my pet subject- trees with an edible portion, whats good and what it goes with, im trying to make a couple of recipes called tree meals, just using ingredients from trees locally, maybe not for your book but any help accepted..Ed

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

First ginjer ninja no not at all mate, i seriously just want to make it clear I am no pro and this isnt (unlike some seem to think) an ego trip! this is just cos i love this subject and i can see cleary that people want to know, i only hope I can deliver what they need and will find of use.

 

Second tarrrryan, your spot on with the way I thought of doing it, field guide first, reference second, great minds think alike!

 

Lastly armchair aborist, all good points but being a delibreate abstainer from eating my finds for ecological reasons I really hate to "encourage" removal from the wild. What If I just gave the really common ones edibility and asked that people only take a small portion of what they find? and that species like the desirable (tasty!) but rare to infrequent Volvariella bombycina be left in situ!

[armchairarborist]

no idea what you're talking about.. need a new fungi ident book, put me down for one..Ed