Magazine

Mycology

Stories about fungi and their role in ecosystems.

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Magazine

Mycology

Moss-covered fallen trunks in Białowieża Forest.

Documentary photograph Photo by Ralf Lotys (Sicherlich) Source: Wikimedia Commons CC BY 3.0 resized and converted to WebP

Inside the forest · 3 min

While wood is transformed

A fallen trunk is not the end of a story: it is shelter, food and the setting for a slow transformation.

Documentary photograph Photo by Давид Андронов Source: wikimedia_commons CC BY 4.0

Explanation · 2 min

White rot and brown rot: two patterns described in wood

A Kew source contrasts two appearances of decomposed wood: pale, soft fibres in white rot and reddish, cube-shaped fragments in brown rot. The available sources describe these patterns, but are not sufficient to explain their mechanisms or identify the fungi as moulds.

Micrograph of an arbuscular mycorrhiza in a root.

Documentary photograph Photo by Marc-André Selosse Source: wikimedia_commons CC0

Explanation · 2 min

How Roots and Mycorrhizal Fungi Relate

Mycorrhizal hyphae can extend the reach of roots in the soil; in return, the plant supplies glucose to the fungus. The available evidence describes this exchange in general terms, but does not allow its benefits to be measured or applied equally to all plants and environments.

Explanation · 2 min

Saccharomyces cerevisiae on Grape Skins: Presence Is Not Residency

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae plays a role in wine fermentation, but it is rarely found on intact grapes. A study describes grape skin as an unsuitable environment for this species to establish a stable presence: a specific case, not a general map of where yeasts live.

Documentary photograph Photo by Medmyco Source: wikimedia_commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Explanation · 2 min

Mold Spores in a Mortar Experiment: What a Study Documents

A study involving two molds describes how it prepared a spore suspension and applied it to mortar samples. This is a laboratory case, not an explanation of how molds disperse in the environment.

Documentary photograph: What mycorrhizae contribute to soil life

Documentary photograph Photo by TB0815 Source: wikimedia_commons CC BY 4.0 resized and converted to WebP

Explanation · 2 min

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: resource exchange with roots

A focused look at how arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi exchange carbon and nutrients with plants, and what tracing methods allow us to conclude about this process.

Explanation · 2 min

In California wineries, fruit flies transport yeasts

A study at four wineries in the San Francisco Bay Area shows that fruit flies carry a variety of yeasts. The tests also reveal that attracting flies does not guarantee the same effect on their larvae.

Report · 2 min

Pyrophilous fungi in Canary Island pine forests: what the available evidence allows us to say

The studies available here do not provide a catalogue of pyrophilous fungi in Canary Island pine forests or dates for their appearance after fire. They do offer an experiment on germination and soil extracts, and a study tracking biodiversity after the Tajogaite eruption that reports no findings on fungi.

Report · 2 min

Lichens: an association that changes what its partners can do

What looks like a patch on a rock brings together a fungus and photosynthetic organisms. Their association helps explain where lichens live and how they affect their surroundings.

Report · 2 min

Decomposer fungi: wood does not simply disappear

Leaves, needles and dead trunks participate in a process of transformation in forests. Decomposer fungi help return nutrients to the system.