Fungi is a wonderful resource for all those interested in fungi, suitable for the general reader or a student looking for background reading. The focus is on the larger fungi; those which have an obvious fruiting body. Roy Watling, a respected mycologist who has written widely on the subject of fungi, sheds light on these intriguing organisms in a clear, accessible text illustrated with superb colour photographs on every page.
Imagine a world without fungi...all the fallen trees, dead leaves, animal remains and other detritus would accumulate until the surface of the planet resembled a vast refuse tip, with little room for living things to exist. The job of breaking down organic materials and recycling the component molecules back into the environment is just one of the essential roles of fungi. Once regarded as simple plants, they are now thought of as a separate kingdom, having diverged from common ancestors up to 500 million years ago. They occupy a key place at the base of the food chain and are of great economic and biological importance, but it is only recently that scientists have begun to realise their true ecological significance. The chapter on conservation gives an idea of just how vital it is to study and protect the habitats in which they thrive.
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