Fungi Field Trip Post by Ali

Fungi are heterotrophic, multi nucleated, and multi cellular organisms. Examples include yeast (only unicellular fungi), molds and mushrooms. Most fungi are composed of multiple filaments, called hyphae, grouped together to form mycelium. Fungi can live as symbionts, parasites or saprophytes. According to Korena, Fungi function as decomposers of dead plants and without them, our environment is incomplete. For example, the following pictures show some fungi that were that were observed during our field trip in Pine Ridge Park.  

   

Image 1. Fungi are the main organisms that will decompose these dead woods. 

The primary role of fungi in ecology is to decompose dead plants. Unlike algae or plants, fungi lack the chlorophyll necessary for photosynthesis and must therefore live as parasites or saprobes. As Saprophytes, most fungi depend on dead plants for source of nutrition and metabolic energy. 

Image 2. Fungi grow on dead plants to decompose them and get their nutrition at the same time. they wrap their hyphae around root tips of trees and take in nutrition from the tree

Image 3. A big white chunk of fungi grown on a piece of wood.

Fungi in Image 3. was very solid like a rock. It seems that it was attached to the piece of wood for a long time. 

Image 4. Another piece of wood that has fungi grown on top of it.

As seen in above images, fungi grows on dead plants to find its food. Typically these fungi release digestive enzymes onto their food source, partially dissolving it to make the necessary nutrients available. Then, fungi use absorption to feed themselves. On a more broader level, fungi can break down most organic compounds including lignin, a compound that is a major component of wood and is very difficult to break down or digest. In addition, they recycle decomposing matter which enrich the soil and allow for new plants to grow. 

Furthermore, not all fungi are decomposers. Some fungi form symbiotic relationships, for example, lichens and miccorhizal fungi. Lichens symbiotic relationship with either a fungus and greel algae or a fungus and cyanobacterium.

Image 5. Shows a form of fungi named lichens grown on a branch of dead tree.

Lichens are subdivided into fruticose, crustcose, and foliose. Image 5. represents foliose and we also observed fruticose during our trip. 

Another fungi that tend to live as symbiotic is micchorizhal fungi:

Image 6. Amanita muscaria is a kind of miccorhizal fungi. Their walls are made of chitin. Their fruiting body is above the ground and their roots form long branches under ground. 

Myccorhizal fungi form symbiotic association with plants. Such fungi form symbiosis between a fungus and the roots of vascular plants. It is a mutualistic relationship because both host and organism benefit. The roots of miccorizhal fungi live underground and attaches to the roots of plants. Miccorizhal fungi provide nutrients to plant; thus, resulting in better growth. At the same time, plants provide miccorizhal fungi the glucose they need.

In addition to fungi, we also observed mosses during our trip to Pine Ridge Park:

Image 7. Moss grown on a dead tree.

Although mosses are small and attaches to plants, they are not lichens or fungi. Rather, they are considered plants themselves. To be more specific, they belong to the phylum Bryophyta. 

Image 8. The sporophytes of a moss.

We were lucky to experience a moss that had their sprophyte cells grown up. Sporophytic cells produce haploid spores which reaches the soil and then germinate to produce the gametophytes. 

The field trip to Pine Ridge Park was a great experience. It allowed us to observe fungi and mosses that were found in the park. This practical approach informed the understanding of the things we had learned from the lectures or the book.