Saturday 20 November 2021

Fungi Marching On?

It's very obvious to even the most dopey Biologist, that the UK's warmer and wetter weather has generated a recent 'explosion' of fungal fruiting (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/nov/19/uk-warmer-wetter-weather-sparks-bumper-year-for-mushrooms). One normally associates Kew Gardens and The Royal Horticultural Society with plants. Their specialist fungal sections (Fungi are a different Kingdom) have been inundated, however, with rare and unusual species of mushrooms. Some fungi seem to have taken to fruiting in both Spring and Autumn. Others are increasing the range of habitats where they are found. It has even been suggested that gardeners might have more problems with species like the Honey fungus. The trees, whose roots are 'parasitised', may be 'stressed' by climatic changes, making them less resistant to Honey fungus. The trees may die.

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