EN

Spatula Oyster

Hohenbuehelia auriscalpium

Unknown

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

The Spatula Oyster faces severe decline due to widespread deforestation and habitat fragmentation across its limited range in temperate and boreal forests. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the moisture and temperature conditions essential for this saprophytic fungus to decompose dead wood effectively. The species' dependence on specific deadwood substrates makes it particularly vulnerable to intensive forest management practices that remove fallen logs and dying trees.

Threat summary

Habitat

The Spatula Oyster grows as a saprophytic fungus on decaying hardwood logs and stumps in temperate and boreal forests, particularly favoring beech, oak, and maple substrates. It requires consistently moist forest conditions with adequate canopy cover to maintain the humid microclimate necessary for fruiting body development.

TERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Pleurotaceae

Veiled OysterVU

Veiled Oyster

Pleurotus dryinus

Unknown
VU

Hohenbuehelia valesiaca

Unknown
Shoehorn OysterEN

Shoehorn Oyster

Hohenbuehelia petaloides

Unknown
EN

Moor-Muscheling

Hohenbuehelia longipes

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Spatula Oyster classified as Endangered?
Spatula Oyster is classified as Endangered — facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild — because population numbers are declining steeply and key habitats are under sustained pressure. The Spatula Oyster faces severe decline due to widespread deforestation and habitat fragmentation across its limited range in temperate and boreal forests. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the moisture and temperature conditions essential for this saprophytic fungus to decompose dead wood effectively. The species' dependence on specific deadwood substrates makes it particularly vulnerable to intensive forest management practices that remove fallen logs and dying trees.
Where does Spatula Oyster live?
Spatula Oyster occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Spatula Oyster?
The main threats to Spatula Oyster are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.