 Molecular techniques have been developed to help with conservation efforts of <unk> hydnoid fungi , including H. peckii . While the distribution of the fungus has traditionally been determined by counting the fruit bodies , this method has a major drawback in that fruit bodies are not produced consistently every year , and the absence of fruit bodies is not an indication of the absence of its mycelium in the soil . More modern techniques using the polymerase chain reaction to assess the presence of the fungal DNA in the soil have helped alleviate the issues in monitoring the presence and distribution of fungi mycelia . 
