Misunderstood Mushrooms

The role of fungi

Neither plant nor animal, fungi play an essential role in ecosystems helping to breakdown and decay dead matter such as dead animals and leaf litter, returning the nutrients to the soil ready for them to be used again by plants. Some fungi like yeast are tiny and can’t be seen by the naked eye; others start life as microscopic filaments and grow, producing visible structures such as mushrooms or moulds. It was originally thought that the blue whale was the Earth’s largest species but recently a honey fungus in Oregon was found to be 2.4miles in length, covering a huge area of 3.7 square miles. Much like other fungi, this honey fungus spreads tiny filaments through the soil and food source, producing a huge invisible web known as its mycelium.

Autumn appearance

Over the summer months most fungi mycelium have had time to grow and as autumn approaches the weather becomes wetter whilst staying relatively warm. This damp climate provides the perfect conditions for fungi to reproduce and for many fungi autumn is their fruiting season. Mushrooms are a fungi’s fruiting body and much like a plant disperses seeds, a fungi releases spores from the mushroom’s cap, which eventually settle in a new environment and grow into a new fungi.

Notable species

A walk in the woods this autumn will be enough to see fungi of all shapes and sizes, from tree-hugging bracket fungi like the giant polypore to the iconic, bright red fly agaric. Although we tend to see many variations of flowering plant throughout the spring and summer, there are in fact 8 times as many fungi species in the UK, many of which only become visible in the crisp air of autumn. Milkcaps are one of the most easily identifiable groups of fungi, characterised by their stereotypically looking mushroom. When cut, milkcaps are known to exude a milky-like substance from their brittle body.

Fungi walk at RSPB Tudeley Woods nature reserve

Join the RSPB’s fungus expert Martin Allison on the hunt for hidden gems on the 20^th October, 2016 for a chance to search and learn about some of the UK’s fantastic fungi species. The event takes place at RSPB Tudeley Woods near Tonbridge in Kent from 10:30am – 13:00 pm. Tickets are £10 or £6 for RSPB members. To find out more call 01892 752430 or see here:  http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/seenature/events/details.aspx?id=tcm:9-420958