The Fungus Among Us

The past few years have seen record rainfall in New Hampshire. So, mushrooms have been popping up everywhere, with colors, shapes and sizes hard to ignore. Mushrooms have been around a lot longer than us humans. And, without a doubt, they are the more useful species in sustaining life on earth. In fact, along with other fungi they have their very own kingdom.

A mushroom emerging from lawn, or forest floor, or rotting wood, is actually the fruiting body of a far larger organism. Unseen, below the surface, an extensive threadlike network is hard at work. Given the right moisture and temperature, a mushroom emerges from this underground network to cast forth its spores.

It's the visible part of a mostly hidden system that speeds decay, breaking down all sorts of organic matter. A branch or tree falls and the decay process begins. Different mushroom species step in at different stages of decay, or work on different kinds of trees. This efficient process of decomposition returns carbon, nitrogen and minerals back to a reusable state that starts the growth cycle anew.

Not so visible, and not so well known, is the benefit mushrooms bring to a wide range of living plants, from grasses to trees. The underground network of threads attaches to the roots of certain plants. Acting as an additional root system, they deliver additional nutrients and moisture to their host plant.

Quite simply, forest health depends on the health of this unseen foundation, this fifth kingdom of the fungi. Those of us who struggle to raise a few vegetables in the backyard have a lot to learn about soil health, but nature has it all figured out.

Script by Francie Von Mertens.