Max Arkley-Smith's Fungi Presentation for Lithgow Local News, a Bioregional Collaboration with the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative: www.lithgowlocalnews.com

1. All About Mushrooms!
A TOPICAL PRESENTATION
BY
MAX ARKLEY-SMITH
APRIL 2023

2. What are fungi?
2

3. [1] Hug, L., Baker, B., Anantharaman, K. et al. A new view of the tree of life. Nat Microbiol 1, 16048 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.48
[2] Adl, S.M., et al. (2012), The Revised Classification of Eukaryotes. J. Eukaryot. Microbiol., 59: 429-514. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1550-7408.2012.00644.x
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4. What are fungi? Overview
Macroscopic
filamentous
fungi (with
mushrooms)
Single celled
yeasts
Multicellular
filamentous
moulds
Heterotrophic
Organisms
Must consume
nutrients to
survive
Can only move
via growth

5. What are fungi? (as close as
you can get)
2
Diverse range of organisms built from Chitin
Chitin is the second most abundant polysaccharide in nature behind
cellulose
Abundant in the exoskeletons of crustaceans, and insects, and some fish
and amphibians

6. About chitin
2
Conversion to Chitosan Electrolytic
properties
Gel forming
High adsorption
Water treatment
Biosensors
Agriculture
Food Processing
Textile additives
Medicine
delivery
Low toxicity
Biocompatibility
[3] Merzendorfer, H., Cohen, E. (2019). Chitin/Chitosan: Versatile Ecological, Industrial, and Biomedical Applications. In: Cohen, E., Merzendorfer, H. (eds) Extracellular Sugar-Based Biopolymers
Matrices. Biologically-Inspired Systems, vol 12. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12919-4_14

7. Hyphae, mycelium, and the
life cycles of fungi
2
Fungi reproduce
through spores
Asexually or
sexually
Homo (same
mycelia) or hetero
(different mycelia)
-karyotically

8. Hyphae, mycelium, and the
life cycles of fungi
2
[4] Priyamvada, H., Singh, R.K., Akila, M. et al. Seasonal variation of the dominant allergenic fungal aerosols – One year study from southern Indian region. Sci Rep 7, 11171 (2017).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-11727-7

9. Fungal feeding relationships
2
Fungi have 3 main
methods of feeding
1.
Decomposing
dead organic
matter
2. Mutual
relationships
with living
organisms
3. Parasitic
feeding

10. Saprotrophic Feeding
2
Fungi are one of the
most important
decomposers in the
environment
Responsible for
cycling and
decomposition of
organics and
mineral
Metabolic outputs
include C, H, O, N, P,
S, metals, and
metalloids
[5] G.M. Gadd, Fungi and Their Role in the Biosphere, Encyclopedia of Ecology, Academic Press, 2008, pp. 1709-1717,
ISBN 9780080454054, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-008045405-4.00734-5.
Fungi
Inorganics Organics
Enzyme & metabolite
mediated transformations
Interactions between
organic and inorganic
chemicals
Uptake, sorption,
and metabolism
Uptake, degradation,
and metabolism
Production of
inorganic
metabolites
Production of inorganic
metabolites, exopolymers
and biomass

11. Mutualistic/mycorrhizal
feeding relationships
2
>80% of fungi have
a mycorrhizal
relationship with a
specific plant
The fungus gets
direct access to
food from the
roots of the plant
The plant benefits
from increased
water absorption
via the mycelium
This relationship
may have allowed
plants first to
colonise land
Lichens are part
photosynthesiser
and part fungi
[6] ASTA Juliette (August 21, 2019), Lichens, surprising pioneering organisms, Encyclopedia of the
Environment, Accessed April 18, 2023 [online ISSN 2555-0950] url : https://www.encyclopedie-
environnement.org/en/life/lichens-pioneering-organisms/.

12. [7] Heim, R. 1977. Termites et champignons. Les champignons
termitophiles d´Afrique Noire et d´Asie méridionale. Société Nouvelle
des Éditions Boubée, Paris.
Some termites cultivate
fungal gardens for nutrition
and building purposes

13. Parasitic
Relationships
Moulds and
pathogenic fungal
infections fit into
this category
Some species like
cordyceps have
developed specific
relationships with
insects
Impacts can range
from benign to
deadly

14. Fungi as food
Mushrooms have been
discovered in human
remains dating back to over
18000 years
Mushrooms are still
traditionally consumed as
food in many Eastern
European and Asian
cultures while, only select
species are cultivated in the
west
Many mushrooms are
unsafe for eating or contain
undesirable psychoactive or
bioactive effects, such as
the Fly Agaric, consumed by
Vikings, shamans, and
ancient Mexicans
Wild truffles are one of the
most sought-after and
expensive foods in the
world (up to $100 each)
[8] Kotowski, M. (2019). 'History of mushroom consumption and its impact on traditional view on mycobiota – an example from Poland', Microbial Biosystems, 4(3), pp. 1-13. doi:
10.21608/mb.2019.61290

15. Fungi in
Australia
Most traditional
knowledge is lost
due to
colonisation
There are estimated to
be nearly 13,000
species of fungi in
Australia
James Drummond, an
early settler and plant
collector in Western
Australia talked of a
large luminous
mushroom (most
likely Omphalotus
nidiformis) and
reported that several
Aboriginal people,
when they saw it
"...cried out 'Chinga!'
their name for a spirit,
and seemed much
afraid of it".
The species recorded
eaten or used by
aboriginal people
include:
- Choiromyces
aboriginum (native
truffle)
- Beech oranges
- Native bread
- Phellinus sp. ( as
medicine for sore
throats and chest
infections)
- Pycnoporus sp. ( used
as teething rings, for
ulcers, and sore lips)
[9] Kalotas,A, Fungi of Australia, Volume 1B, retrieved from Aboriginal use of fungi (anbg.gov.au)

16. Foraging and
Foraying
Foraying is a scientific
expedition to identify
fungi
Foraging is a
gathering practice to
eat or use fungi
When done safely and
ethically, foraging can
be a great way to
connect with the
environment
Collecting pine
mushrooms in Winter
and Autumn is the
easiest way to stat
Learn from an expert
in-person and triple
check mushroom
identities before
eating any mushroom!

17. How to Get Involved
Learning from
experts
•Diego Bonetto
• Weed and mushroom foraging and cooking workshops in Sydney and
surrounds
• @theweedyone in Instagram, diegobonetto.com
•Martin Martini
• Native mushroom expert and experimental forager
•@bellyof theworldmushrooms on Instagram and facebook
•QLD based but comes down to NSW regularly
Buy an
identification
field guide
•Field Guide to Australian Fungi (Bruce Fuhrer)
•Wild Mushrooming, a guide from foragers (Pouliot and May)
•Field Guide to the Fungi of Australia (Young and Smith)
Join Online
Communities
•iNaturalist
•Social nature ID app with really good AI matching that contributes to
research
•Fungus Identification Australia and New Zealand (Facebook group)
•Group of amateurs and experts used by most as their triple check before
eating anything
Go Outside
•Look at the ground after it rains

18. My Favourites