Elder Flowers 2 5 Hedgehog fungus
13 5
Sloe 6 6 Puffball 2 6
Rowan berries 39 7 Giant Puffball 2 7
Rosehip 15 8 Parasol 7 8
Nettles 9 9 Inkcap 4 9
Hazelnuts 7 10 Wood blewit 11 10
In spite of the differing scope and methods utilized by the two Surveys, the contrasts are nevertheless interesting. There are ecological differences between England and Scotland, and some species are more prolific
depending upon location. For instance, there is no mention of boletes in the Combined Survey rankings, but they are the second most popular foraged fungi in the Wild Harvest Report. Scotland is more forested than England and the boletes have a symbiotic relationship with trees, therefore they quite probably grow in greater abundance in more forested Scotland. There is also a more commercial interest for those surveyed in Wild Harvest Report, and thus the issue of sustainability is important107.
5.4.2 Relationships between the Varieties of Wild Foods Gathered
Analysis of the data reveals some interesting relationships between the varieties of wild foods that were gathered by the respondents. It appears that foragers are likely to specialize somewhat in the category of wild foods that they gather. When the number of types of a particular wild food picked in the past five years (x) is plotted against the number of different plant types picked
140 (y), using initial data,108 each of the combinations gave a positive slope. However, the correlations throw up some interesting potential issues concerning the relationship between overall knowledge of plant life and foraging habits. It may be that some foragers are purposeful and focus on specific foodstuffs, ignoring – or ignorant of – often equally harvestable foods.
Thus, individuals out gathering weeds are also likely to pursue herbs and vice versa (r2 = .545). Since they are very similar plant types, this is not necessarily surprising, and there may not be a clear distinction between the two categories. There is also a moderate correlation between both weeds and nuts and herbs and nuts. On the other hand, there is a correspondingly weak correlation for both with the other categories: fruit and especially fungi. Weeds/Salad Plants (x) Number of varieties (y) y= mx +c (r-squared) Nuts .4117x+.6366 .455 Herbs .4778x+.3299 .595 Fungi .3853x+1.0365 .143 Fruit .5791x+1.3349 .315 Herbs (x) Number of varieties (y) y= mx +c (r-squared) Nuts .6443x+.5907 .417 Herbs 1.2616x+.2099 .595 Fungi .5583x+1.0408 .112 Fruit .9859x+1.1859 .341
Those picking fruit tend to stick to fruit whilst on their forays. Fruit picking rates as the overall most popular activity of foragers. Yet it seems to be weakly correlated with all of the other categories at more or less the same level, indicating that fruit pickers may not tend to pick a variety of other wild foods. Perhaps this is because the forager is purposefully searching – for a
108 This regression is done using individual data points, not means as elsewhere in the survey hence the
141 fruit to make wine, or jam or a pie – and is thus not receptive to other wild foods? Or it could be that the forager does not know other foods? Or that she is not able to harvest, handle and transport anything bar the target fruit? Given that so many people pick fruit, especially blackberries, and fruits are easily identifiable; this may require a low level of knowledge. Thus, lack of knowledge concerning other plant-life may account for this relationship, but this needs further confirmation.
Fruit (x) Number of varieties (y) y=mx+c (r-squared) Herbs .9935x+1.0419 .341 Weeds .5791x+1.3349 .315 Fungi .9859x+1.1859 .323 Nuts .5757x+1.2909 .305
Nuts, especially sweet chestnuts and hazelnuts, are also very popular with modern foragers. Nothing else seems to hold the same attraction as only herbs and weeds are correlated, and at a weak-to-moderate level. Thus, many nut pickers tend to focus their efforts on nuts, even though many fruits, such as sloes, are harvestable at roughly the same time.
Nuts (x) Number of varieties (y) y=mx+c (r-squared) Herbs .6472x+.2356 .417 Weeds 1.1058x+.1387 .455 Fruit .9935x+1.0419 .221 Fungi .785x+.6328 .305
There is only a very weak correlation between the number of types of fungi and other foods. Safe foraging for fungi requires a high level of knowledge and experience but this does not go far to explaining why those searching for mushrooms do not appear to regularly avail themselves of other wild foods.
142 There are a greater percentage of men (27%) gathering mushrooms than women (19%) and mushrooming came a close second in popularity to fruit picking for the men, but a distant third for women. These differential preferences are an interesting area for follow up research.
Fungi (x) Number of varieties (y) y=mx+c (r-squared) Herbs .2815x+.8139 .112 Weeds .3711x+.9411 .143 Fruit .2011x+.7315 .323 Nuts .5757x+1.2909 .221
In conclusion, the data indicates that individuals may have fairly strong foraging preferences or specialties. This may be due to many factors, such as proximity to particular wild foods or seasonal variations. However,
seasonality cannot explain why nut pickers are rarely avid fruit gatherers, as, for instance, autumn fruits and nuts are often found contiguously. Knowledge and experience may also play a role and this may be connected to the
complex mix of benefits that individuals derive from foraging.