This is the 15th year of continuous daily publication for 365Caws. All things considered, it's likely it will be the last year as it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to find interesting material. However, I hope that I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world with my natural history posts, or encouraged a novice weaver or needleworker. If so, I've done what I set out to do.
Friday, January 12, 2018
Fungus Makes The World Go 'Round
Day 91: This is a mushroom, i.e., a fungus. That's as far out on the limb as I'm going to go with respect to identifying it. I may not know its name, but what I do know is that it's doing an important job...one of many important jobs the fungal horde performs. Several years ago, I removed the diseased "Whatzit Tree" (unidentified flowering something) in my front yard, and since that time, I've been stump-grinding the remaining mound with the lawnmower until I've almost got it to the point that the blades will clear the wood without making horrible noises. Mr. Fungus is going to finish the job for me. He and his kin have taken hold and are happily sending out mycorrhizal filaments which will penetrate the remainder of the wood and break it down into nutrients. It's a slow process, but they'll get the job done. The deeper I delve into mycorrhizal relationships, the more convinced I become that fungus makes the world go 'round.
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