Epping Forest near London has been ravaged by overpicking of the wild mushrooms there according to the The City of London Corporation , which manages the famous forest.
As one spokesman for CLC has said :"Hoovering up fungi on such a large scale is ecologically damaging and is simply unsustainable." Two thirds of the Forest has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
Fungi play a key role in Epping Forest's wildlife habitats and are a major reason it has protected status.
There's a saying among mycologists that gets at mushrooms' critical importance to our ecosystem: "No fungi, no forests."
