Humongous Fungus (Underground and All Around)

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Embark on a magical tour of the forest floor and discover one of the most fascinating living organisms on this planet - fungi! Broad but shallow information is shared without works cited or a list of recommended works for further research.

Humongous Fungus by DK: 9780744033335 | PenguinRandomHouse

Forgotten the title or the author of a book? Our BookSleuth is specially designed for you. Visit BookSleuth Their beautiful mushrooms come in all colours, shapes, and sizes. Fungal stories include the greening of the Earth, when fungi helped plants first grow on land, and the mass destruction of crops through fungal disease. From the villains of the upcoming bananageddon to plastic-eating eco-warriors, there are over 1.5 million known fungus species, and a huge, unknown number of unnamed "dark" types. Some are even found inside animals – helpful fungi break down food in animal guts, but others take over their hosts' bodies. The vast fungus kingdom has an estimated four million species — ten times more than plants and 600 times more than mammals. Matty’s books make me super happy! They are funny, super inventive, and super silly.– Chris RiddellThere’re also the “bad guys”, or rather they face the same survival battle for the fittest in nature with the most creative weapons. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. Create Account

Humongous Fungus | DK UK

You know those mushroom rings 🍄🍄🍄 in folklore that say they’re formed by fairies dancing in a circle? They exist! (The rings at least 😆) And, at second glance, even those button mushrooms aren't so tiny. A large mushroom farm can produce as much as one million pounds (454 metric tons) of them in a year. "The mushrooms that people grow in the mushroom houses&133;; they're nearly genetically identical from one grower to another," Smith says. "So in a large mushroom-growing facility that would be a genetic individual—and it's massive!" Their beautiful mushrooms come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Fungal stories include the greening of the Earth, when fungi helped plants first grow on land, and the mass destruction of crops through fungal disease. From the villains of the possible extinction of bananas to plastic-eating eco-warriors, there are more than 1.5 million fungus species, and a huge, unknown number of unnamed "dark" types. They affect other creatures, too, for example by helping break down food, or controlling their minds against their will. This book explores the amazing and diverse world of fungi, mushrooms, mould on land and in the water.This one, A. ostoyae, causes Armillaria root disease, which kills swaths of conifers in many parts of the U.S. and Canada. The fungus primarily grows along tree roots via hyphae, fine filaments that mat together and excrete digestive enzymes. But Armillaria has the unique ability to extend rhizomorphs, flat shoestringlike structures, that bridge gaps between food sources and expand the fungus's sweeping perimeter ever more. Ironically, the discovery of such huge fungi specimens rekindled the debate of what constitutes an individual organism. "It's one set of genetically identical cells that are in communication with one another that have a sort of common purpose or at least can coordinate themselves to do something," Volk explains. The discovery of this giant Armillaria ostoyae in 1998 heralded a new record holder for the title of the world's largest known organism, believed by most to be the 110-foot- (33.5-meter-) long, 200-ton blue whale. Based on its current growth rate, the fungus is estimated to be 2,400 years old but could be as ancient as 8,650 years, which would earn it a place among the oldest living organisms as well.

Humongous Fungus | DK Learning - dkbooks

They’re every plant and animal’s teammate, when there’s a job to be done such as a “food swap” between fungus and plant, or simply some help with survival. Humongous Fungus of fabulous fungi will intrigue and amaze young readers, and open their eyes to the fungi thriving all around them.The book is nicely organized with a Table of Contents, Glossary, and Index. I think this would be interesting for any child generally enthusiastic about nature but also works well as a specific topic study in educational contexts.

Humongous Fungus - Lynne Boddy - Google Books Humongous Fungus - Lynne Boddy - Google Books

All fungi in the Armillaria genus are known as honey mushrooms, for the yellow-capped and sweet fruiting bodies they produce. Some varieties share this penchant for monstrosity but are more benign in nature. In fact the very first massive fungus discovered in 1992—a 37-acre (15-hectare) Armillaria bulbosa, which was later renamed Armillaria gallica—is annually celebrated at a "fungus fest" in the nearby town of Crystal Falls, Mich. Scientific American is part of Springer Nature, which owns or has commercial relations with thousands of scientific publications (many of them can be found at www.springernature.com/us). Scientific American maintains a strict policy of editorial independence in reporting developments in science to our readers. They carpet the forest floor, and hidden fungi decompose matter, feed plants, and affect how animals function.Inhabiting a whole kingdom of their own, fungi can be found in every ecosystem. They carpet the forest floor, and different types of fungi decompose matter, feed plants, and even change animals' behaviour. From tiny microbes to the largest living thing, fungi are everywhere! Without fungi, our ecosystem would not work. It provides food for plants and animals and creates a place for them to live. But beware, some types of fungi can destroy crops through fungal diseases or even change animals' behavior. This fascinating foraging book for kids is sure to keep little ones engaged and entertained!