Fun Guy or Foe?
Marcia reveals the complex relationships within the kingdom of Fungi
Fungi as most of us see it, is epitomised by the toadstool or the mushroom, whether hiding quietly amongst other vegetation of bursting forth in massive clumps from an old tree stump, the vast array of sizes, shapes and colour are hard to miss and a joy to discover.
However, this is in fact only the tip of the ice berg when it come to the organism itself. The full organism exists out of sight under the soil and consists of nothing more than numerous threads or hyphae winding their way in a complex web underneath our feet. In this form they can live for hundreds of years and grow to sizes greater than a Blue whale, they can talk to the trees and do battle with bacteria, but above ground all we see is the silent, motionless mushroom.
A special Kingdom
Fungi belong to a Kingdom all of their own. For many decades of human history they were categorised as plants, early classification focused on whether an organism could move or not, and since like plants, fungi were immobile they were grouped in to this kingdom of life.
With increasing technological advances since the 1960’s it became obvious this classification was too simple. We now recognise five kingdoms of life on Earth, Animal, Plant, Fungi, Protista (primitive eukaryotic organisms) and Monera (Archae and Bacteria).
Why were fungi elevated to their own kingdom? Increased research revealed that although they have some similarities to plants, they also have many similarities with the animal kingdom, most notably their inability to generate their own food the way plants do. Due to this complex personality they were elevated to a kingdom all of their own.
Eating habits
Like animals fungi have to obtain their energy from other living things and there are a number of different ways they achieve this. A large number of fungi form symbiotic relationships with plants, in which they receive sugars from the plant and the plant receives greater access to important nutrients. This has been a very effective strategy with almost 90% of all plants on earth requiring a fungal connection in order to successfully grow.
Other species focus on eating dead and decomposing matter and recycling nutrients back in to the natural system. Without the actions of these fungi, life on earth would quickly cease, as nutrients become locked up in dead matter, unavailable to new plants.
Finally there are the parasites, who steal their energy from other organisms, literally sapping the life out of them. These fungi infect plants, insects and even mammals, and can have devastating impacts on host populations, in particular human crops.
A tangled web
I hope this makes it clear that fungi have a substantial impact on the living world, and as a result on our everyday lives. Some of our favourite products would not be possible without the actions of fungi, think of your favourite bar of chocolate, your morning cup of coffee, the bread for your sandwich, and even the glass of wine you have in the evening. None of these things would be possible without fungi.
In addition they provide us with medicines. The number of lives that have been saved by the discovery of penicillin is uncountable. More recent research has provided heart medications and an effective treatment for depression. They are also likely to be the organisms that can clean up our mess by breaking down plastic and other environmental waste products we produce. This is because they have a much greater ability to adapt to new food sources than the animal kingdom.
In our fight against climate change they’re a huge source of carbon sequestration due to the connection they have with plant communities. They can also release carbon back in to the environment more slowly than it would be otherwise.
This is all before we’ve gotten to the sheer joy that many people receive from collecting and eating mushrooms in their local environment.
But there is a downside, there are also thousands of species of fungi that have a detrimental effect on our health and well being.
Have you heard of the dancing plague of 1518? In Strasbourg, Alsace between 50 and 400 people took to the streets to dance for weeks until they collapsed. You must know of the Salem witch trials of 1692 where 19 people were executed for witchcraft. What do these two historical incidents have in common? Both are theorised to have been the result of Ergot poisoning. Ergot is a fungus that infects grains and can lead to Ergotism in humans who consume the infected grain. This condition was also called “St Anthony’s fire” and can lead to fever and hallucinations and to people suffering from distorted perceptions. It’s thought that the less refined process of sorting grain in the past lead to bread and other grain product being more easily and frequently contaminated with the ergot fungus. Leading to population wide impacts like those mentioned above.
Ergot may not be a pressing issue in modern civilisation, but as the temperatures of the globe steadily increase, we are creating a more pleasant environment for other species of parasitic fungi. We already suffer to some degree from athletes foot, ringworm or yeast infections. These can be treated fairly easily in healthy people, and do not cause us too much discomfort. But what other fungi are out there waiting for the right conditions to thrive… I’m not suggesting “The Last of Us” could become a reality, but the premise is truer than you think! It’s happening to amphibians right now.
Global amphibian populations have been crashing since the 1980’s, this has been led by habitat loss, but also the emergence of a chytrid fungal infection. The infections has sadly been spread globally by the pet trade and the unhindered transport of products across the globe. Research suggest that it prevents sufficient uptake of salts through the skin, leading to a lack of sodium which leads amphibian hearts to stop beating! As a result we’ve seen massive amphibian population declines and localised extinction of some species.
With our 2024 school project we’re highlighting the wonderful amphibians that we find in the Highlands, again there is this web of fungi creeping in to everything that we do, perhaps there is another blog post in there somewhere?
The future?
What will be our relationship with fungi in the future? Climate change is undoubtedly changing many of the established connections that we currently have, will the balance tip in our favour or the fungi’s? Or will our two kingdoms forever be locked in this tangled web of love and hate? What is clear is that fungi have been around long before the animal and plant kingdoms, we’re lucky to have had their cooperation along the way, whether or not this continues will depend on our ability to cooperate with them. Because they will certainly remain long after we have gone.
Marcia O'Hara is High Life Highland's dedicated Countryside Ranger for Easter Ross and South East Sutherland. She infuses her love for nature into every aspect of her work, from community clean-ups to guided events and workshops. With an academic foundation in Environmental Biology, Marcia excels in bringing fresh perspectives to her sessions, making science come alive in community learning. Known for her ability to engage and inspire, Marcia has a special interest in woodland botanics, including fungi, lichen, and trees. Her unique approach and deep connection to nature have made her an invaluable asset in preserving the natural beauty of the region she covers.