There are 3 main groups of fungi: Saprophytic, Mycorrhizal, and Pathogenic. Luckily for us, we were able to explore examples of each group!
The first main group of fungi is the Saprophytes. They are the decomposers who clean up dead organic material such as wood, leaves, needles, and manure. Majority of fungi are Saprophytic and are harmless as well as beneficial to the ecosystem. They are responsible for recycling nutrients, minerals, and other needed material used by plants back into our ecosystem once organisms die. Without them, our forests would be full of dead trees, animals, as well as other dead materials such as leaves and logs.
Image 1. White fungal growth (mycelium) is growing in the log to begin the process of decomposing.
Image 2. Saprophytic decomposers can also grow into fruiting bodies (mushrooms or toadstools). Hope you get the reference...
The second main group of fungi is the mycorrhiza mushrooms. They are the best friends of plants who they've co-evolved with on land. Korena said that the word "mycorrhiza" describes the relationship but no the identity of the fungi. The fungi's root tips live underground and are intermingled with the roots of living plants thus providing minerals and nutrients. Both the plant and fungi benefit, living in a mutualistic relationship. There are ectomycorrhizal (hyphae do not penetrate the cells of the plant roots) and endomycorrhizal (hyphae penetrates cells of roots) mushrooms.
Image 3. Amanita mushroom (ectomycorrhizal). Korena explained how different types of mushroom features/characteristics can distinguish genus/species. These characteristics include taste, smell, how the stem breaks, colors of the gill prints, and the spores,
The last main group of mushrooms is the pathogenic fungi. Obviously, the name gives away what this fungus can do. There are two main fungi in this group: lichens and mosses. Both are photosynthetic and lichens are composite fungi. These fungi grow on living trees and other plants and suck away the nutrients. Once their host dies, their relationship switches from parasitic to saprophytic.
Images 4 and 5 are lichens. One branch had 3 different types of lichen (crust, witch hair, & one more I didn't remember to write down). Images 6 and 7 are mosses.
Image 4. Lichen
Image 5. Lichen
Image 6. Moss
Image 7. Close up of moss. The green things that are sticking up are the sporophytes.
Overall, I felt that the field trip was very informational and fun. It's definitely opened my eyes up to what's really going on in the forests that I walk through. It's amazing how far the networks of mushrooms can reach and how important fungi really is to the well being of forests and other ecological habitats. Korena was a great tour guide in our forest field trip and it was a great change from being inside the lab!
Very descriptive post with great visual aids! I found two things very interesting: 1) fungi can photosynthesize which means that they contain photosynthetic pigments, and 2) fungi can switch from parasitic to saprophytic when their host dies.
ReplyDeleteThe second one is a unique characteristic by the fungi. Organisms of this small of a size can consume food from living plants but then they can also adapt accordingly to live on dead matter.
Hi Shawna!
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures. You reminded me of how important fungi are to the 'lifecycle' of an ecosystem. Without fungi, dead organisms would not decompose. Decomposition releases the nutrients contained within a plant or animal back into the ecosystem, so it plays an essential role in feeding the food chain from the bottom up.
I never really realized how important fungi are until this trip... and how they are basically everywhere.
Amy