Could mycorrhizal fungi actually be part of plant "cognition"? While this isn't a classic animal cognitive process, there are some interesting parallels. I really enjoy this perspective, and it makes sense. What do you think?

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

An interesting study from Japan observes how animal-dispersed truffle-like fungi are more prone to genetic isolation due to forest fragmentation. Not a surprising finding, but interesting to consider from a conservation standpoint!

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Why rewilders shouldn’t forget about fungi These mostly hidden life forms have a big role to play in rewilding – and need its support, too.

Article I wrote for Rewilding Magazine, also featuring some of my photography. Check it out.

www.rewildingmag.com/why-rewilder...

I found a cool cordyceps on a stink bug the other day! Pretty rad! What do you think?

Photographing Ectomycorrhizal Root Tips Yep! Geeking out!

Some folks have reached out about the photos I've taken of ectomycorrhizal root tips. I wrote a short article about this for my brand-new Substack. If this sort of long-form content interests you, please subscribe and let me know if you want to see more!

timomendez.substack.com/p/photograph...

The Fungi in the Carbon Jigsaw - JSTOR Daily Out of sight, below the soil’s surface, fungi play a vital role in the existence and health of our forests, woodlands, jungles, and prairies.

A recent article I wrote for the JSTOR Daily about mycorrhizal fungi and the carbon cycle. Features my photos as well. Check it out.

daily.jstor.org/the-fungi-in...

Linking soil health to human health: Arbuscular mycorrhizae play a key role in plant uptake of the antioxidant ergothioneine from soils Evidence has emerged that the antioxidant ergothioneine may be important in preventing many inflammatory diseases in humans. However, ergothioneine is not produced by humans or plants and is only mad....

Ergothioneine is a unique antioxidant with many promising health benefits, including for cognitive health. As this study shows, arbuscular mycorrhizal is crucial in the uptake of this compound by plants, as it is almost exclusively produced by fungi.

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Capacity to form common mycorrhizal networks reduces the positive impact of clonal integration between plants Both clonal plant capabilities for physiological integration and common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) formed by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can influence the distribution of nutrients and growth...

Very excited to see this work out by visiting PhD in my group Yuanhao Zhang exploring interactions between clonal plant integration and CMNs! Spoiler they interact in big ways! doi.org/10.1111/ppl....

Great point!

Ectomycorrhizal structures are produced by an incredible diversity of fungi. In this new study, researchers documented a fusarium forming EM structures and improving plant health.

imafungus.pensoft.net/article/1432...

Looking forward to reading this amazing research by brilliant scientists. Check it out.

Me neither, would be interesting to read it in detail. Apparently they isolated it from soil taken from a coniferous forest.

Lycoperdon perlatum from a coniferous forest forms an ectomycorrhizal relation with and increases drought resistance of Populus × canadensis ‘Zhongliao 1’ - Symbiosis Plant–fungal symbiotic associations benefit initial plant adaptation to droughty terrestrial ecosystems. Although information on mycorrhizal and endophytic fungi in drought-resistant mechanisms in cro...

And I though Lycoperdon perlartum (Common puffball) was saprobic. This study shows it forms ECM relationships with populus and may improve their resistance to drought.

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

The first description of mycorrhizae was published in 1885, where A.B. Frank first coined the term. His study, commissioned by the Kingdom of Prussia, explored the potential for truffle cultivation. Despite it's age, it's insightful to anyone interested in the subject.

Read it ⬇️
tinyurl.com/ABFrank

An undescribed purple Cantharellus sp. from Tepoztlan, Morelos. Beautiful species, most likely forming mycorrhizal associations with Oak.

A wasp infected by Ophiocordyceps humbertii I photographed last summer in the Sierra Sur of Oaxaca.

I've been looking for EM root tips to photograph with minimal experience in the field. While this study focuses on Himalayan fir, their description of morphotypes is insightful regarding the grand anatomical diversity of these brilliant structures.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

I am not a researcher but a communicator who is very enthusiastic about mycorrhizae and would be happy to be included.

Lactarius indigo is a delicious ectomycorrhizal species found with Oak and Pine in Mexico, Central America, and the eastern United States. There are numerous varieties, which may be broken up into several different species soon. I took this picture near my home in Morelos, Mexico last season.

Mycorrhizal and nutrient controls of carbon sequestration in tropical rainforest soil Tree mycorrhizal associations have substantial consequences for soil organic carbon (SOC), but it remains unclear how nutrient availability will regul…

Interesting study by Chinese researchers shows that ECM trees in tropical forests sequester more carbon in N-rich soils, while AM tree diversity rises in P-rich soils but stores less carbon. This may be due to lower AM fungal abundance, making AM trees more prone to pathogens.
tinyurl.com/4xzhajus

Wowza!

Nice!

This new study outlines how canopy trees & understory shrubs can host the same species of ectomycorrhizal fungi. It finds that oaks & pines form overlapping ECM assemblages with Hazel when growing in proximity.

very cool!

It reminds me of some Cavendishia I've seen in the highlands of Central America. Ericaceae are so cool.

The common idea that plants "warn" each other of threats through mycorrhizal networks might not be correct, according to this fascinating research. Instead, fungi may act like whistleblowers, detecting plant stress and signaling others in their network to prepare their defenses.

DNA and spores from coprolites reveal that colourful truffle-like fungi endemic to New Zealand were consumed by extinct moa (Dinornithiformes) | Biology Letters Mycovores (animals that consume fungi) are important for fungal spore dispersal, including ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi symbiotic with forest-forming trees. As such, fungi and their symbionts may be impacted by mycovore extinction. New Zealand (NZ) has a ...

Before their extinction 600 years ago, the giant flightless Moa ate and dispersed truffles. This was likely true for many of the 41% of bird species now extinct in New Zealand. What is the best way to approach species conservation when the mutualist dispersers are now extinct?

tinyurl.com/yeznr8ez

Aureoboletus aff. betula from the Sierra Sur in Oaxaca, growing with Pine.

Absolutely! I hope to get some more shots soon.

Laccaria are early successional ectomycorrhizal fungi, fundamental for the establishment of young trees in various parts of the world. They are also edible. This is Laccaria amythestina s.l. is from Tepoztlan, Morelos.