Misunderstood fungi essential to healthy ecosystems
Misunderstood fungi essential to healthy ecosystems
International fungi researcher, Dr Alison Pouliot, visited Central Western NSW to reveal the important role fungi plays in soil health, the food chain and in agriculture.
Capacity to Deliver -
LP015-004
The issue
A history of entrenched fears and misconceptions about fungi has isolated fungi populations in Australian soils.
The destruction of prime fungal habitats such as leaf litter, coarse woody debris and understory vegetation has affected wood decay species of fungi.
Australian land managers have inadvertently destroyed soil-living fungi through soil disturbance. This includes over-irrigation, compaction, and the application of excess nutrients and toxins.
The solution
Mid Lachlan Landcare partnered with Cowra Council's Natural Resource Management Committee to host international fungi researcher Dr Alison Pouliot to deliver a talk on fungi for the Cowra community. The event was held as a Science in the Pub evening and was fully booked with 25 attendees.
Fungi have implications “greater than we ever once imagined”. Ecological research by Dr Pouliot details fungi as a potential management tool for improving and conditioning agricultural pastures experiencing soil compaction, dryness and variability in soil fertility.
Fungi have important functions in agriculture and carbon sequestration, supporting soil structure and making it sponge-like and more habitable for invertebrates like worms which allows for further aeration.
The impact
There is more to this species than its flower (the mushroom). Fungi can play a role in natural landscape irrigation. Its root like structure (mycelium) allows water to trickle down deeply into the soil. Connected mycelium can source water from a drain line or dam and feed it to plant roots at higher or dryer points in the landscape.
Fungi play a role as a natural fertilizer. Nutrient exchange takes place when fungi connect to plant roots. Mycelium distributes nutrients and minerals from soil to plant roots and distributes carbon from plant roots to soil.
Key facts
- Science in the Pub event on benefits of fungi attended by 25 people.
- Fungi play important roles in natural ecosystems and can play a similar role in agriculture.
- Fungi can assist in natural landscape hydration.
- Fungi (mycelium) can exchange soil nutrients into plant roots and carbon into soil.