Though not well adored, fungus is important to ecosystem and plays an important role in various processes which are unknown to us. After reading this series on interesting facts about fungus, your view point of fungus might change.
Fungus? Ecch..
No, not Echh
Not every many people know that fungus is a
part of nature, and is helpful in many ways. Instead of being reviled, it
should be welcomed! Read on for interesting facts about fungus.
We give below the very many uses fungus
helps us make our natural foods.
Take for example the Christmas tree. If
there were no fungi then you would not have a large Christmas tree. Fungi take
the sugar from the plants, and in turn provide the tree with help to absorb
water, and other mineral nutrients. They take and give each other what each
need. What cooperation!
No Christmas is free of gifts. And the
first thing we all look for is our gifts. Once we find them, we immediately
tear open the wrapping paper and only look at our gifts. Did you know that the
wrapping paper , thrown into a garbage dump, attracts different kind of fungi and
bacteria who degrade the paper? These fungi and bacteria ‘eat’ the paper,
returning the carbon and other similar nutrients for other organisms.
Similarly, different bacteria and fungus
act on all the stuff that is discarded, like your meals, lunch, leftovers, and
make micronutrients which are used by other natural substances to grow their
own, or use them for their own growth.
The fungi and the bacteria can be called
the major recyclers, in a natural way, releasing carbon, phosphorous and other
similar material to the atmosphere, and the wastes that they decompose become
natural organic substances that are used by other plants and animals to
their benefit.
Did you know that fungus is required for
converting trees into forests? Yes, they do. Fungus help all trees like your Christmas tree, which we have already shown you.
Some fungus digest the brown crust in the
tree, leaving behind white cellulose, the material from which paper is made.
These and other fungi are being investigated because if the process they use to digest
the wood and leave behind the cellulosic fiber can be made use of, we can replace the chemicals used for bleaching currently.
So don’t ignore or say Ecch! Fungus is
important to our ecosystem.
Read other articles with interesting facts on fungi:Fungus: Role in Food ProductsFungus: Role in MedicationMore About Fungus in Our Lives