%0 Research article
%T Picking of wild edible mushrooms in Finland in 1997–1999 and 2011
%A Turtiainen, Marjut
%A Saastamoinen, Olli
%A Kangas, Kari
%A Vaara, Matti
%D 2012
%J Silva Fennica
%V 46
%N 4
%R doi:10.14214/sf.911
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/911
%X This study reports on national survey results concerning mushroom  picking in Finland during four separate years: 1997–1999 and 2011. The  material was collected by mailed questionnaire surveys amongst Finnish  households. The sample size varied from 1858 (in 1998) to 6849  households (in 1997) and the response rates varied from 51% (in 2011) to  70% (in 1999). The results indicate that both the rate of participation  in mushroom picking and estimates of the quantities collected varied  greatly depending on whether the survey was conducted in a favourable or  unfavourable year. In 1998, when the mushroom crop was abundant, a  total of 47% of all households were engaged in picking and the total  harvest was 16.1 million kg. In 1999, when the crop was poor, the  estimates were the lowest (23% and 3.3 million kg, respectively) and in a  year with a relatively abundant crop (2011), the estimates were 42% and  15.0 million kg, respectively. Mushrooms were collected mainly for home  use, which accounted for 85–90% of the total harvest depending on the  year. Only a small proportion of all households (0.3–1.3%) were engaged  annually in commercial mushroom picking. In 1997–1999, milk caps formed  the major part of the total amount picked (i.e. 37–53% depending on the  year), whilst in 2011 their share was approximately one fifth of the  total harvest. The results also indicate that the proportion of ceps in  commercial picking has increased since the 1990s