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Opis:
I take viewers for a walk in a forest mid-summer and highlight the incredible diversity of fungal species by seeing the mushrooms that each individual fungal species have revealed. I address some misconceptions in biology of fungi. I explain how mushrooms are not the fungus themselves. You need to understand that the mushroom is only a very temporary structure whose function is reproduction through the production and release of spores. Spores are carried by the wind and will grow into new fungi. The main body of a fungus is usually unseen below the forest floor or in a rotting stick or log. The fungal 'body mass' is actually made of thread-like strands of mycelia that are present year round, unseen. Mycelia of fungi release enzymes that break down organic material. I discuss mycorrhizal relationships between trees and fungi. Ninety percent of plants have some sort of micorrhizal, symbiotic, mutualistic relationship (mutualism) with fungi. The fungi (mycelia) interwine with the roots of the plant and help the plant get water and nutrients. The plant in turn shares energy resources (sugar from photosynthesis with the plant) Some fungi have gills and some have pores (polypores). The spores are released from the gills or pores of the fungus. The mushroom part of the fungus lasts only a few days! The mushrooms reveal the presence of a particular fungal species. Fungal species can be identified by the unique form of the mushroom. Some mushrooms are edible while others are very toxic. In this video I identify coral fungi, turkey tail fungi, shelf fungi and chanterelle fungi.
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