The Fungus Among Us
Most of us never think about the hidden world of fungi. Yet it is a keystone supporting the very structure of life. It’s a world shrouded in fear and superstition conjuring up images of fairies, elves and witches, poison mushrooms and fairy rings.
To give us an idea of how important fungi are to human life, we need to realize fungi were one of the first life forms making the transition from water to land. It was fungal activity that broke down mineral forms of hard rock into what we recognize today as soil. Fungi paved the way for the evolution of the plant kingdom, which today makes up 80% of life on earth. Fungal contribution does not stop there. It was a symbiotic relationship with the root system of primitive plants, like liverworts, that enabled water born photosynthetic plants to absorb groundwater and minerals to make the jump to land. This partnership between fungi and plants, formed about 500 million years ago, is still the source of water and minerals for 90% of all plants today.
Our understanding of this ecological cornerstone is still in its infancy. While we discovered the relationship between plant roots and fungi about 150 years ago, it was only around 1985 that the real study of mycorrhizae, or root fungus, began in earnest. This should make us all realize just how little we know about what truly supports life on Earth. This realization makes me even more hesitant about spreading different fungicides and other chemicals all over the land that feeds us.
Just as early fungi broke down heavy minerals into something that plants could use, fungi perform the same service for us today. Fungi are the shining stars of the compost bin. In my home I have wooden furniture, over a hundred years old, still as solid as the day it was built, but shredded leaves and twigs in my compost bin break down into fertile soil in a matter of months. It is fungus and bacteria encouraged and given the proper conditions that produce this miracle that will make next year’s garden so productive. It is a small-scale example of the way fungi paved the way for life as we know it.
No mention of fungus would be complete without talking about eating mushrooms. Many mushrooms are really tasty but almost all of them have a deadly look alike that will lead to a trip to the hospital. It is for that reason I do all of my mushroom collecting in a grocery store.
The hidden world of fungi is just beginning to be explored. This new knowledge makes me more aware of how wonderful and fragile the network of life that supports us really is. It also points out how heavy-handed we humans can be with what limited knowledge we have. Hopefully we will learn the humility to walk more gently on this Earth that’s been entrusted to our care. It is the only one we have.
Jim Bliss is a UCCE Master Gardener in Tuolumne County. UCCE Central Sierra Master Gardeners can answer home gardening questions, from rainwater tanks to drought-resistant plants. Just a warning, we don’t know the meaning of life either, but we have found growing things seems to bring us closer.
