783
submitted 10 months ago by kay to c/196@lemmy.blahaj.zone
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] Zoboomafoo@slrpnk.net 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

There are tree eating fungi but that is not one of them.

Based on what?

According to my quick research, symbiotic fungus doesn't fruit unless the tree is in trouble. That tree seems fine, so then the fungus probably isn't good for the tree

[-] Inconcinnity@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago

Where on earth are you researching to come to that conclusion? Mushrooms overwhelmingly fruit based on climatic conditions. If the weather is right, they fruit. And it is well established that mycorrhizal fungi are good for the trees and other plants they have symbiotic relationships with, which is why fungal inoculation is becoming increasingly popular. It's also why they are called symbiotic, and not parasitic.

[-] Zoboomafoo@slrpnk.net 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)
[-] Inconcinnity@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago

I'd be wary of using a foraging blog as a source of information, there is a lot of misinformation that gets around in foraging communities.

In this case the information is mostly okay, with some caveats. Morels certainly don't fruit exclusively when a tree is dying (this blog doesn't quite assert that, but it does highly emphasise the dying trees part so I can see how you would take that away) and it's important to note that the trees death was caused by a separate parasitic fungi and not the morels. They're fruiting in an attempt to spread their spores before they go down with the ship, so to speak.

Personally I'm a little skeptical about the old timer stories and the conclusion drawn from them, but I live on a different continent with completely different species of fungi so I couldn't say for sure. Over here our most prolific morel seasons are always when the temperature is mild, there have been good rains and the forest is happy and healthy. From an evolutionary perspective, this makes perfect sense. The fungal spores have a much better chance of establishing new colonies when resources are plentiful. A symbiotic mushroom that only fruits when all its symbionts are dying around it is going to be naturally selected out of existence.

this post was submitted on 03 Jan 2024
783 points (99.9% liked)

196

16555 readers
1583 users here now

Be sure to follow the rule before you head out.

Rule: You must post before you leave.

^other^ ^rules^

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS