Knowledge of the different types of mushrooms are imperative for survival. There are many types of poisonous mushrooms that are very similar to the edible ones. For example, The Destroying Angel, which is a highly toxic mushroom, looks very similar to the Matsutake. Just by touching the poisonous one, toxins can be distributed. There are many cases of pickers dying from mistaken identity of mushrooms.
Many mushroom pickers are very environmentally sound.
Respect and care for the earth is essential. It is hard to spot where a picker has been, as they leave the forest as they had seen it. This not only protects the earth, but it leads no tracks for other pickers to find a secretive patch. A picker uses care in gathering the mushrooms. Unlike other types of mushrooms, the Matsutake does not get cut.