Wood Inhabiting Fungi in Alaska: Their Diversity, Roles, and Uses
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figure 1 figure 2 figure 3 figure 4 18 Wood Inhabiting Fungi in Alaska: Their Diversity, Roles, and Uses By Gary A. Laursen, Harold H. Burdsall, Jr., others are small and inconspicuous, and opportunists. They gain access to woody and Rodney D. Seppelt some are edible and others poisonous. In tissues beneath the bark on the bodies of this presentation of research on fungi, we woodboring beetles. In the process, they Woodinhabiting, rotting and/or decom make sev eral r eferences to edibility. In so leave s pores be hind in the many galleries posing fungi from Alaska include represen doing, we do not encourage anyone to eat produced by the boring insects. Fungi also tatives from an assortment of fungal groups fungi without first consulting a professional. enter their hosts through woodpecker (cup, je lly, pored, coral, tooth, puffball, These fungi are the great recyclers of holes (Figure 1) or through bark disruptions gilled, and lichenized fungi) and one wood and woody material in the forest caused by moose, bears, porcupines, and funguslike group (the slime molds). Of ecosystem. They alter the wood structure to rabbits. The invading fungus subsequently the more than 1,500 species recorded for produce material with properties that are spreads out over the substrate as mycelial North America, over 250 species of wood necessary for inhabitation by other forest fans (Figure 2). Entrance may also be gained inhabiting fungi have been reported from biota, both plant and animal and even through wounded and exposed roots, or Alaska. In Alaska, more than 102 genera of other fungi. Hence, there is a successional through w ounds created by broken gilled, shelf or bracket fungi with pores, pattern to the work they perform. Some branches, by nibbling rodents, or by heavy jelly fungi, and flat paintsmearlike fungi species have been used by indigenous winds that can cause excessive movement Fungal Features: Ecology are known. Most, if not all, of these fungi Alaskan peoples for centuries as compo of tree limbs. Figure 1. Woodpecker hole with a fungal are known to fruit in Alaska national parks; nents of smoking mixtures, curry combs Each fungus is physiologically specific to porch roof however, it is important to note, as most of for brushing animals, medicinals, punks to its particular decay type and ecologically Figure 2. Invading mycelial fan the fungi reported here were collected in carry fire long distances, and even as specific where it impacts standing live and Figure 3. White spongy rot national parks, that to collect in any nation leatherlike material for clothing. dead wood—in the bole of a tree as a al park necessitates obtaining relevant per Amidst dynamic and continually chang heartrot, in the sapwood as a saprot, or in Figure 4. Brown cubical rot mits. It is against the law to collect natural ing cycles of life, death, and decay, signifi the roots as a rootrot. Wood decay occurs Background: Gilled fungi are common and objects from national parks without the cant roles are played by fungi in diseases as two primary processes, white rots and often poisonous. This Pholiota squarrosa should be admired for its beauty, not necessary permits. As with green plant such as rootrot and heartrot of trees. brown rots. The activity of white rot fungi necessarily its taste. species, some of these fungi are common, They alter organic substrates on the forest results in a white, punky/spongy rot (Figure some rare, some large and obvious, while floor an d recycle nutrients. Fungi are 3). These fungi are more numerous than Photographs courtesy of Gary A. Laursen 19 Wood Inhabiting Fungi in Alaska: Their Diversity, Roles, and Uses those causing brown rots and make up alpine and tundra habitats as well (Volk et They include slime molds; cup fungi; jelly, about 80% of all woodrotting species of al. 1993). Listed in Table 1 are 102 genera resupinate (form fitted to a substrate like a fungi. White rot fungi primarily break containing some of the common wood coat of paint), pored polypores (pored down the lignin, but also some cellulose. inhabiting/rotting fungi found in Alaska. fungi), coral, tooth, puffball, and agaric However, brown rot fungi leave a brown, The large assemblage of woodinhabiting/ (gilled) fungi; in addition to several cubical, dry, crumbly decay (Figure 4). rotting fungi contains representatives found Ascolichenes and a few Basidiolichenes Brown rot fungi cause the chemical break in many Orders and Families. An Order in (the two main divisions of lichens) in many down of cellulose and hemicellulose sub the club fungi, the Aphyllophorales, now lichen or lichenized fungal groups. Mem strates leaving behind primarily the brown split into several Orders, once contained the bers of each of these groups demonstrate lignins that “glue” cellulose fibers together. majority of Alaska’s woodrotting fungal nature’s beauty in their life forms, color, In North America, there are at least 1,500 species. Volk et al. (1994) have compiled a biological roles played, and human uses. white rot and 250 brown rot species of checklist of more than 254 species of wood The most primitive class of Alaska fungi. In Alaska, these figures are substan rotting fungi. This listing is far from com woodinhabiting fungi is the slime molds. Slime Molds: Plasmodial tially lower because of the limited number plete, hence, the enormity of the taxonom These may be seen in the forest after a Figure 5. Craterium yellow plasmodium of tree species present. ic task to be dealt with in Alaska mycology. rain as brightly colored slimy plasmodial Figure 6. Lycogala epidendrum Woodrotting fungi are widespread and Alaska’s woodinhabiting fungi are made ‘blobs’ on woody substrates. Some of the common in Alaska boreal forests and in up of species that represent many classes. more common slime mold forms inhabiting Figure 7. Stemonitis splendens Figure 8. Trichia varia ASCOMYCETES BASIDIOMYCETES Ascomycetes: Cup fungi Helotiales Uredinales Stereales Stereales(cont.) Hericiales Agaricales Bisporella Chrysomyxa Aleurodiscus Stereum Gloeocystidiellum Clitocybe Figure 9. Bisporella citrina Bryoglossum Xenodochus Amphinema Trechispora Hericium Flammulina Figure 10. Daldinia concentrica Dasyscyphus Athelia Tubulicrinis Lentinellus Hypholoma Tremellales Helotium Botryobasidium Xenasma Marasmius Figure 11. Peziza repanda Bourdotia Gomphales Hyaloscypha Ceraceomerulius Poriales Mycena Mollisia Ductifera Ceraceomyces Lentaria Omphalia Exidia Antrodia Macrotyphula Neolecta Columnocystis Cerenna Pholiota Heterotextus Ramaria Basidiomycetes: Jelly fungi Crustoderma Ceriporia Pluteus Sphaeriales Sebacina Cyphella Resupinatus Tremella Coniophora Thelephorales Figure 12. Calocera cornea Daldinia Cystostereum Daedaleopsis Sarcodon Tricholomopsis Hypoxylon Dacrymycetales Cytidia Fomitopsis Thelephora Figure 13. Dacrymyces palmatus Dendrothele Boletales Calocera Gloeophyllum Tomentella Hygrophoropsis Figure 14. Ductifera sp. Pezizales Dacrymyces Echinodontium Hapalopilus Otidia Dacrypinax Hyphoderma Panus Lachnocladiales Lycoperdales Figure 15. Exidia glandulosa Peziza Hyphodontia Perenniporia Scytinostroma Lycoperdon Auriculariales Laeticorticium Pleurotus Figure 16. Tremella lutescens Cortinariales Auricularia Peniophora Polyporus Nidulariales Alnicola Phanerochaete Spongipellus Nidula Tulasnellales Cyphellopsis Phlebia Spongiporus Nidularia Basidiomycetes: Pored fungi Tulasnella Crepidotis Phlebiella Trichaptum Flamulaster Cantherellales Phlebiopsis Figure 17. Coltricia perennis Hymenochaetales Gymnopilus Albatrellus Piloderma Coltricia Figure 18. Cytidia salicina Clavulina Plicatura Hymenochaete Multiclavula Steccherinum Figure 19. Daedaleopsis confragosa Phellinus Table 1. Common Wood Inhabiting/Rotting Fungi Genera Found in Alaska Photographs courtesy of Gary A. Laursen 20 figure 5 figure 9 figure 13 figure 17 figure 16 figure 6 figure 10 figure 14 figure 7figure 7 figure 11 figure 15 figure 12 21 figure 8 figure 18 figure 19 figure 20 figure 24 figure 28 figure 33 figure 36 figure 21 figure 25 figure 30 figure 34 figure 37 figure 35 figure 22 figure 26 figure 31 22 figure 23 figure 27 figure 32 northern boreal forests are first seen as THERE ARE POISONOUS (EVEN (Figures 1733). white, yellow (Figure 5) and/or as red DEADLY) FUNGI THAT OCCUR ON Laetiporus conifericola (Figure 24) is a plasmodia. In the assimilative or ‘feeding’ WOOD. Care should be taken in lemonflavored edible species and can be stages they engulf bacteria that actually live found in significant quantities. White and selecting fungus for the table. on the wet and rotting wood. Their plas brown heartrot and saprot fungi such as It is best to consult a mycologist for modia ultimately mature to form fruit bod Fomitopsis pinicola and Phellinus pini con ies that appear upon ‘drying’. Slime molds accurate identification. tribute greatly toward the ultimate demise include Craterium leucocephalum, Lycogala of live trees. Fomes fomentarius (Figure 20) Basidiomycetes: Pored fungi epidendrum (Figure 6), Mucilago crustacea, and Piptoporus betulinus (Figure 27) fruit (Continued) Stemonitis splendens (Figure 7), Trichia varia bottom tip of an earlobe when hydrated abundantly on standing dead trees and Figure 20. Fomes fomentarius (Figure 8), and Wilkoumlangiella reticulata. and fresh. Alaskan examples are Calocera predispose them to being hollowed out by Figure 21. Fomitopsis pinicola The sac or cup fungi (Ascomycetes) are cornea (Figure 12), Dacrymyces palmatus nesting birds and mammals (Figure 1).