Lichen and Fungi… Oh My!
The kingdom Fungi have been very misunderstood for many years, only being classified as a kingdom since 1969. They had been considered plants prior to this year, meaning scientists have only had a small portion of time to truly study and understand them as their own kingdom. Not all fungi are created equal considering the many different ways they can appear. Some can be microscopic, others can form visible fruiting bodies (e.g. a mushroom), and they can come in many colors and sizes. With this, it can be really difficult to classify what each fungus is and to tell what is poisonous and what is not!
Out at Rock Springs Conservation Area, we have many different types of mushrooms that tend to pop up around the fall. All year, however, you can see many different lichen species on the trees. Lichen is the product of a symbiotic relationship between a fungal species and either an algal species or a type of cyanobacteria. It can include multiple fungal species as well. They were first thought to be a mutualistic relationship, where both species benefit from the other. However it might actually be considered a parasitic relationship. This is because the algal species is far enough away from its original habitat that it can’t live without the fungal species. Lichen come in all different colors and sizes and can grow on pretty much anything solid outdoors.
We also can sometimes see a very unique species out here as well, which is a species called ‘Dog Vomit’. At first glance, it looks very much like a fungal species. However, Dog Vomit (Fuligo septica) is not a fungus at all – it is actually a protist. Protista is a group of organisms that are not an animal, plant, or fungus, and includes things like amoebas and slime molds. Slime molds are very unique in their structure and are currently being studied. Some other famous species we can find on property include Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphurus). This is a well-known shelf fungus that can be seen growing on bases of dead trees.
On your next hike, try and see if you can find any fungi around. Please remember that it is against our regulations to forage, take, or consume any fungus on our properties (even morels!). If you’d like to learn more about fungi and how to identify them while visiting Rock Springs, feel free to stop by the reference library located inside the Nature Center!
by Hope Moore
