Deadwood supplies much of the basic food resource within a healthy woodland system. It is the base layer for the food chain if you like. However, the nutrients within the wood would be largely inaccessible if it wasn’t for fungus.
The species of fungus that act as the life support system for a woodland are numerous and varied and we are very much still learning about them. It’s likely we don’t even yet know how many species are involved and for the most part of the year they are all underground and out of sight for everyone.
During the autumn months many species put out fruiting bodies which we call toadstools or mushroom or bracket fungus and these can be quite conspicuous.
Most of a mature tree is in fact, dead wood. The living parts are found on the very outer rings of the trunk and of course within the leaves and flowers. As a tree starts to age and decline, the deadwood within the tree may start to rot as fungus begins to break it down. It is worth remembering that a healthy tree can exist in this state of decline for hundreds of years and is not usually a reason to panic about a tree falling (though it may be sensible to get a tree assessed professionally if such a tree looms over your house!).
I am going to write about two common and widespread species which you may be able to spot when out and about at this time of year. I will not write about the edibility of these species since the potential for confusion with something toxic is too great and even if you get the ID spot on, both of these species can still give you an upset stomach. I would recommend enjoying from afar or booking yourself onto a wild foraging course should you want to learn more about fungus you can eat. I would also mention that edible is not the same thing as tasty!
The first species is commonly known as beefsteak fungus, it grows not as a typical ‘mushroom’ shape but directly out from the trunk as a flat shelf shape known as a bracket fungus. As it’s name suggests, once mature the beefsteak resembles raw meat, it will even exude a red liquid when cut (this species is really on-theme for Halloween!). The underside of this bracket, the fungus is made up of tiny tubes pointing downwards all packed together which is a characteristic feature. Beefsteak fungus typically occurs on Oak and Sweet Chestnut and grows quite low on the trunk or even on a cut stump. The fungus is able to break down oak deadwood, which is actually toxic or impossible to digest for most woodland creatures and then frees up the nutrients within, as many invertebrates and microorganisms are then able to eat the fungus itself.
The second species I am going to write about is known as Chicken of the Woods. It is a dramatically different colour in comparison with the beefsteak, being brightly yellow in colour, especially when young. Like the beefsteak fungus this species also grows in a bracket type form but can consist of multiple, stacked and undulating, fan-shaped layers. Chicken of the woods grows on many different types of tree including Cherry and Yew and at varying height on the trunk or branches. Lower down specimens are likely to be eaten by deer.
There are invertebrates that are entirely reliant upon Chicken of the Wood. For example, some beetles such as the hairy fungus beetle (scientific name of Pseudotriphyllus suturalis if you want to look it up) and they simply could not exist without this fungus. But the value of woodland fungus stretches far beyond that, as so much is dependant on them for the recycling they do, turning deadwood into accessible nutrients for organisms above and below the ground.
When you walk through a woodland, the diversity of life you are surrounded by is very much dependant on the species of fungus present. It is an endlessly fascinating and often overlooked group of species and I very much recommend reading up on the subject. I particularly enjoyed a book called Entangled Life written by Merlin Sheldrake but there are an increasing number of good books covering the subject.
Gillian Fisher, Ecologist
Photos by kind permission of Dave Pressland
