Tiny Earthstar (Geastrum minimum)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Fungus or lichen > fungus > Fungus |
| Red List Status: | (Not Relevant) [(not listed)(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Geastrum minimum |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | Schwein. |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | (not listed) |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Assessed as Vulnerable (2006) and (2015, (as G.marginatum)). All English records of this species have now been attributed to G.marginatum. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Without evidence of the current national status of this species it will be very difficult to assess if there are any other species-specific actions required for its conservation; or if it is need of conservation at all. |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | There is no evidence that an increase in the structural diversity of the habitat will directly benefit this species. |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 2. Biological status assessment exists |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Low - Climate change |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Combination - sufficient |
| Species Comments: | This name is now considered a nomen dubium, and UK records have been attributed to G. marginatum. A coastal Dune species which is expected to be threatened by coastal squeeze due to climate change |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: An assessment of the necessary national species records should be made according to IUCN guidelines to provide a recognised redlist status criteria for this species.
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: 1 year
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites: N/A
Comments: As no IUCN recognised assessment exists for this species, this action should be prioritised.
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: If Action 1 confirms that this species is need of species specific conservation action then: Attempts to grow this specimen in culture should be trialled, along with methods of introducing that culture into relevant substrates. Cultures may be grown from spores or from hyphal tissue.
Action targets: 6. Recovery solutions trialled
Action type: Ex situ conservation
Duration: 1 year
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: N/A
Comments:
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: If Action 2 is successful, then specimens grown on from culture in relevant substrate should be translocated into suitable sites with pre-prepared substrate availability. At least 3 translocation should be made at each site to increase chances of species recovery.
Action targets: 6. Recovery solutions trialled
Action type: (Re-)introduction
Duration: 1 year
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: N/A
Comments: Follow up actions would include monitoring of translocation success.
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.