When did you last eat Marmite on toast, drink a pint of beer or even indulge in the ‘double whammy’ of a mushroom-topped pizza?
If you enjoy any of these then you need to say ‘Thank you’ to fungi, without which we wouldn’t have bread or beer. In many respects, from a human perspective, fungi is ‘good’. Not only does it provide us with food, but some of our medicines originate from fungi too. The Turkeytail fungus – a common fungus that grows on dead wood – is currently being investigated as a possible cancer treatment drug.
Of course not all fungi is ‘good’. Some are deadly poisonous to us and another, although not fatal is certainly irritating – Athlete’s foot!
What about in a woodland setting? Is fungus good or bad?
Fungi break down (decompose) leaf litter and dead wood and recycle the nutrients to create good earth for other plants to grow in. They are recyclers and are essential for the health of our ecosystems.
Let’s think about the relationship a fungus has with a tree.
In some relationships both the tree and the fungus gains a benefit. This is known as symbiosis, I think of it as ‘swapping for survival’. The extensive mycelium (like roots) of the fungi have lots of opportunities to absorb nutrients and water from the soil. These nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen and zinc) are important for the growth of the tree. A fungus can’t produce its own energy, it must gain it from elsewhere, and the tree produces energy in the form of sugar through photosynthesis. So the fungus and the tree swap nutrients for sugar.
In other situations only the fungus gains a benefit from the association and it is detrimental to the tree. This is parasitism or ‘Stealing for survival’. The fungus steals energy from the tree but does not give it anything in return. It sometimes causes rot which can ultimately kill the tree. Many of the bracket-type fungi are parasitic
Although this might not be good for the individual tree, the creation of dead wood is often important for other species such as invertebrates. So, what is bad for one tree may still be good for the habitat as a whole.
Please remember that with so many different species in the UK, identification is not easy and I certainly would not recommend picking mushrooms to eat. It just isn’t worth the risk. Never eat any wild mushroom until an expert mycologist has checked your identification. Whilst I’ve labelled some of the fungi around our trail I am an enthusiast rather than an expert, and different species of fungi can pop up quickly next to an existing sign!
I've attached our fungi top 21 spotting sheet - you can download this onto a smart phone or print a copy to bring with you and see how many you can find and identify. If you enjoy our trail, please consider making a donation - you'll find a donation cairn in the Visitor Centre courtyard.