Flora Fauna and Funga – an introduction to the world of fungi

PART 2

The role fungi play in the sustenance of life on our planet is exigent; so, an understanding of life on earth must also include a thorough understanding of fungal life. However, it seems like we do not know a lot about these mysterious and yet omnipresent organisms that could possibly be the most abundant form of life on earth itself.

Fungi are mostly unseen and yet the living world is bound together by them. They are the first responders to any process of decomposition happening on earth, these primary decomposers can perform chemistry that is beyond our imagination as they unlock all manner of chemical bonds present not only in organic but also inorganic matter. Studies have shown that fungi can break down even plastic and clean up oil spills.

Fungi are in a world of their own, the deeper we look at this world, the more fascinating it gets for us as we see that mycelium is the thread that binds all life on earth. Mycelium is the connective tissue, the vegetative part of fungi that connects 90% of all plants on earth to the soil. It is the interface by which trees communicate with the soil and with other trees. Without the web of mycelium holding our soils together erosion would be on a scale where no soil on earth would be stationary for anything to live on it. Mycelium act and look a lot like our own neurons, intelligently!

Humans have been using fungi to make bread and wine for centuries. Medical research into fungi is relatively new but we have made rapid strides into it in the last couple of decades. The current day scenario for mycologists is a very exciting one as new discoveries are coming in not only from academia but also from citizen science.

We have been consuming edible and medicinal mushrooms since antiquity. Human history of consumption of mushrooms can date back to our days as hunter gatherers. Medicinal mushrooms have been used by tribal and shamanic cultures throughout the globe. In the current time, mushrooms are cultivated and foraged by an increasing number of people. Traditional foraging among communities in Sikkim is also common throughout the state with many seasonal wild edible mushrooms picked and consumed across the state.

Economically the impact of mushroom cultivation could be huge for a state like ours. The environmental conditions are ideal for a large variety of choice, gourmet, edible and medicinal mushrooms in Sikkim however this has not been realized at all. Even the common oyster and button mushrooms are often not as easy to find. The nutritional benefits of mushrooms are also immense and we will look at that in the coming articles as we continue to dive deeper into the magical world of fungi and mushrooms.

We do not encourage anyone to pick and eat wild mushrooms without proper verification as eating the wrong mushrooms can lead to death. Since very little is known in the state about them and local means of identification are outdated and ambiguous, we would like to advocate extreme caution when looking to pick and eat unknown mushrooms.

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