Fungi or mushrooms are the fruiting body of the mycelium network.

Fungi decompose and absorb a huge variety of nutrients and elements. In doing so they produce fertile soil, naturally carry out the process of carbon capture and with there symbiotic relationships with many plants and trees also help lock even more carbon into the plant structure, by helping them grow quicker.

The mycelium spreads out through the soil and other organic materials to help breakdown and assimilate compounds. In fact mycelium grows into such an intricate network, left untouched by human intervention fungi can become the largest organisms on this planet.

Photo source – A beautiful picture of amethyst deceiver (Laccaria amethystea)

The complex network of mycelium often works symbiotically, sharing the micro nutrients it has produced with the trees and plants which have produced carbohydrates through photosynthesis (something fungi cannot achieve). Mycelium also shares symbiotic relationships with bacteria, sharing valuable chemicals.

The guru of fungi, Paul Stamets presents this TED talk, putting forward excellent evidence of how valuable to the earth these organisms are.

Follow Paul Stamets on twitter here @PaulStamets

Paul Stamets website fungi.com

An interview with Paul Stamets by mother earth news

Trees grow on Mushrooms and natural carbon storage techniques

Chris Rhodes highlights an important fact in his blogpost  March 22, 2009 ( which can be read here )

He points out that plants which have mycelium surrounding their root structure when young, establish and grow with better vigour because of their symbiotic relationship. The mycelium acts as an extension to the root system with obvious benefits.

So Tree saplings being prepared for reforestation projects would benefit enormously if the natural partnering fungi can be attached at an early stage. Leading to improved growth in the tree and therefore storage of carbon, whilst the mycelium itself helps to lock up huge amounts of carbon in the soil.

Chris has also summarised some of Paul Stamets work in this blog post

Carbon Storage

The Department of Ecology at Lund University, Sweden has a project looking at how mycelium helps store carbon in the soil. This highlights the many benefits of leaving naturally formed soil structure wherever possible.  Details of the project can be viewed here.

Mycoremediation

Mycelium plays a huge part in the cleaning up of pollutants we produce in our modern lives. The process is often called Mycoremediation. Mycelium with symbiotic relationships with bacteria can break down substances which can be toxic if left unchecked.

This is an excellent description of how fungi can create fertile soils.

Examples of Mycoremediation in the Amazon.

video clip – A Solution to Pollution – Mycoremediation in the Ecuadorian Amazon

A definition of Mycoremediation from www.celsias.com

‘Many species of mushrooms are actually powerful bioremediators, natural organisms that help break down pollutants. They colonize contaminated soil, and then secrete enzymes that break down the offending chemicals into nontoxic components. The result is clean soil and lots of mushrooms.’

London Olympic 2012 have been using bioremediation processes to clean land. See this link.

‘The bacteria, fungi and other microbes will completely clean this soil without any waste being taken to landfill as part of the green, high-tech clean up of the Olympic Park.’

To buy the best book on fungi look no further than the kaieteur web site

Or for a free preview see it here on google.  Page 82

Help plant trees, please donate to the kaieteur tree planting fund

To find out more about fungi from the BBC breathing places have a look here

Posted by Michael Horsnell

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