Seifert's fungi facts simply fabulous
New book showcases our genetic cousins' impact across the vast `Wood Wide Web'
Most of us, it must be admitted, do not give much thought to the humble fungus. Keith Seifert wants to change all that.
To be sure, after 40 years as a mycologist conducting research on five continents, the author is not a neutral. He is an enthusiastic cheerleader for Team Fungus.
In his new book, The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi, the Ottawa-based scientist sets out to enlist his readers in sharing his affectionate regard for the lowly, often invisible life form.
Fungi, he points out, are important enough to be considered a separate kingdom, ranking equally with the plant and animal kingdoms. Surprisingly, the fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants, sharing nearly a quarter of their genes with us.
They are, in effect, our genetic cousins.
And these unlikely relatives are everywhere. Scientists estimate there are somewhere between 1.5 and 15 million fungal species on Earth. They have been around a long time, with fossil evidence for fungi dating back to the Precambrian. And they thrive nearly everywhere, including populations of fungi within the human body, laced through many plants and in organic soil, where up to 2,000 miles of hyphae, the filament-like structures basic to fungal life, can weave through a single teaspoon of soil.
Although many fungi are microscopic, some are immense. In 2008, a single fungus extending underground over 2,300 acres was discovered in Oregon's Malheur National Forest. Weighing in at over 35,000 tons and dating back at least 8,650 years, this fungus may be the largest living creature on the planet.
Fungi can produce deadly toxins, including the one that caused the catastrophic Irish potato famine, or delicious dinners, but their biological significance goes far beyond the kitchen. Fungi live within our bodies, and fungi laced through forest soil are key in a system of information sharing among trees that is only now being understood. Some scientists jocularly refer to this fungus-enabled network as the Wood Wide Web.
Fungi also play a role in humanity's endless search for altered consciousness and are centrally involved in the fermentation that gives us alcohol, as well as in some psychedelic drugs like LSD and psilocybin.
Clearly, we owe much to our fungi relatives. This book is notable not only for its presentation of many facts about fungi but also for the charming, low-key tone of its prose.
Highly recommended.
Tom Sandborn lives and writes in Vancouver. He welcomes your feedback and story tips at tos65@telus.net