DOCUMENT BEMIRE ED 174 459 SE 028 530 AUTHOR Stevens, Russell B., Ed. TITLE Mycology Guidebook. INSTITUTICN Mycological Society of America, San Francisco, Calif. SPCNS AGENCY National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 74 GRANT NSF-GE-2547 NOTE 719p. EDPS PRICE MF04/PC29 Plus Postage. DESCRIPSCRS *Biological Sciences; College Science; *Culturing Techniques; Ecology; *Higher Education; *Laboratory Procedures; *Resource Guides; Science Education; Science Laboratories; Sciences; *Taxonomy IDENTIFIERS *National Science Foundation ABSTT.RACT This guidebook provides information related to developing laboratories for an introductory college-level course in mycology. This information will enable mycology instructors to include information on less-familiar organisms, to diversify their courses by introducing aspects of fungi other than the more strictly taxcncnic and morphologic, and to receive guidance on fungi as experimental organisms. The text is organized into four parts: (1) general information; (2) taxonomic groups;(3) ecological groups; and (4) fungi as biological tools. Data and suggestions are given for using fungi in discussing genetics, ecology, physiology, and other areas of biology. A list of mycological-films is included. (Author/SA) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** GE e75% Mycology Guidebook Mycology Guidebook Committee, Mycological Society of America Russell B. Stevens, Editor U.S. DEPARTMENT OF 1.1ALT1.1, "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCETHIS EDUCATION WELFARE MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTEDBY NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATI0i/ ;'.n.SDOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO- Mary L. DUCI'D EXACTLY A5 RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN- NSF ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE. SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF RESOURCES EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY TO TO THE EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." er) UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PRESS (j) Seattle and London 2 This guidebook was prepared under a grant (GE-2547) fromthe National Science Foundation to the Mycological Society of America. Under the conditions of this grant, the United States Government shall have the right to use and reproduceor have reproduced for its own purposes without charge all materials herein. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed herein are those of the authors and donot necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Copyright @ 1974 by the Mycological Society of America Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Mycological Society of America. Mycology Guidebook Committee. Mycology guidebook. Bibliography: p. 1. Mycology--Technique. 2. Fungi--Collection and preservation. I. Stevens, Russell B., 1915- ed. II. Title. QK604.M9 1974 589'.2'075 73-17079 ISBN 0-295-95313-6 Preface Mycology, as commonly taughtat the introductory level to undergraduates and beginninggraduate students, stresses classical morphology andtaxonomy and relies much on the use of preservedspecimens. This practice has certain advantages interms of convenience and it would be pointlessto argue that present instruction is without merit. On the other hand muchcan be done to improve the presentation offungi in at least two di- rections: (1) Introduction ofconsiderably more living material and (2) supplementationof the orthodox morpho- logic view with informationfrom genetics, physiology, industrial mycology, fungusecology and medical mycology. Unless changes of thisnature can be effected, mycology will continue to presentless than its full range of interest to the student. This Guidebook is intendedto facilitate improvements in introductory mycologyteaching. It is neither a lab- oratory manual for the studentnor a compendium of lab- oratory exercises in the usualsense of that term, but assembles information to whichthe teacher may turn for direct assistance in developingthe laboratory aspects of his own course. While instructors in othercourses and at other levelscan find much of value in the Guide- book, principal stress ison college courses in mycology at the introductory level. Specifically, the Guidebookattempts to provide useful answers to three questions: (1) How to obtain desired iii di. mycological materials, especially by field collections in diverse ecological situations; (2) how to maintain fungus specimens in the laboratory in such fashion that they will be dependably available when needed in the teaching program; and (3) how to present selected groups of the fungi in their most provocative, preferably liv- ing, condition. Additionally, there are data and sugges- tions on how best to use fungi effectively in elucidating genetics, ecology, physiology and related biological' specialties. The key objective, in sum, is not drasti- cally to alter mycology courses but to provide resources whereby instructors may substantially improve them. Five more or less distinct kinds of information are available to the user of the Guidebook, although it will be clear from the outset that a certain amount of over- lap appears from one category to the next: PART I. General information, including those sugges- tions on field collecting, isolation techniques,main- tenance of cultures and specimens, andrelated matters that are applicable to a variety of situationsand for a substantial number of differentkinds of fungi. PART II. Taxonomic Groups. For each of a consider- able array of commonly taught natural groups offungi, this section offers specific data on where desired ma- terial may be sought, how it may be maintained,prepared for and. presented in class, and in what references more detailed data are available. This section is by no means encyclopedic, nor doesit dwell on problems of fine taxonomic distinction. Commonly used names are employed as a handy device for labelling the separate sections, but there is no pretense to a definitive tax- onomic treatment. PART III. Ecological Groups. For some fungi, or groups of fungi, greatest interestlies in the fact that they occur in distinct ecological situations, are asso- ciated with other organisms in a more or less unique way, or exhibit one or more particularlystriking morphologic or physiologic characteristics. Whether they are or are not taxonomically closely related is ofsecondary inter- est. Part III contains information of this general nature, to be used from time to time inconjunction with the more taxonomically oriented materials inPart II. That is, Part III emphasizes those fungi or groups.of iv fungi that are of first interest because of where they are found or what they do rather than because they represent significant segments of the taxonomic scheme. PART IV. Fungi as Biological Tools. Certain bio- logical phenomena are, for one reason or another, partic- ularly well demonstrated by using mycological materials. This section of the Guidebook contains several specific and detailed suggestions as to hoW these demonstrations may be carried out, with information on sources of fungi to be used and techniques by which they can be success- fully handled. It contains, also, several items best designated simply as "special materials." Literature citations and information on culture re- positories, on stains and media, and on available films are provided as appendices. There is also an alphabet- ical list of fungi that provides page references for each instance wherein a given organism is treated in the body of the Guidebook. The Guidebook should be useful in several ways. For the instructor who seeks to improve his treatment of the groups of fungi commonly encountered in the introductory course, Part II is designed to provide useful informa- tion. It is particularly aimed at encouraging those teachers who may have fallen into the practice of empha- sizing groups with which they are familiar to branch out and to include less well-known forms--and especially to assure that such new exercises as they may introduce are a success by providing them with the advice of specialists. A second use of the Guidebook is to encourage mycology teachers to diversify their courses by introducing aspects of fungi other than the more strictly taxonomic and morphologic. Thus Part III will he especially useful to the instructor who wishes to retain the traditional approach to mycology but to show his students, at an early stage in their training, that mycology offers a very diverse field of endeavor..Part III will best be used, probably, as a means to enliven an introductory course that has already been rounded out with the help of suggestions in Part II. Thirdly, the Guidebook is planned to be of use to biologists in general by providing guidance on fungi as experimental organisms. This is not necessarily to sug- gest that mycologists themselves should avoid the operations summarized in Part IV, but rather that they not necessarily be confined to mycology courses. Not infrequently, perhaps, fungi provide material thatmore dramatically illustrates a given biological phenomenon than does the material traditionally used. Lastly, certain more complex material is included that may be incorporated into advanced courses. This feature is not a major emphasis of the book but should make it somewhat more widely useful. The Guidebook results from the invaluable contribu- tions of a host of individuals. We have not attempted to preserve the identity