Subject Guides

The Sustainability Hub

What is the Mushroom Display?

Shows the four display cases in the front of the Science Library.

In the science library, we have four display cases by the entrance that showcase information on various topics. Currently, we are displaying information on all things mushroom and showcasing how mushrooms are an excellent sustainable source of food! Check it out while currently on display!

What are Mushrooms?

What are Mushrooms?

What are mushrooms? Mushroom is the term we use to describe the large, aboveground fruiting body of fungi. Unlike plants, they do not use sunlight to photosynthesize their food. Instead, mushrooms are decomposers, and they use enzymes to break down organic material into soil. The belowground portion of mushrooms, which we call the mycelium, is essentially their version of roots. These can extend for miles underground or inhabit large organisms such as trees. Mycelium and mushrooms, in a way, have a similar relationship to trees and their fruit. Mushrooms and fruit are the edible portions we pick, while mycelium and trees stay intact to produce the following season. Also similar to how fruit produces seeds, mushrooms often produce spores, allowing the larger organism to reproduce. These spores are spread by wind, water, insects, or other animals.Mushroom Anatomy. Cap - The top of the mushroom. Gills - The underside of the cap. Pores - The tissues on the underside of the mushroom cap that are perforated by small tubes. Spores - Contain single-celled reproductive units of the fungi. Teeth - Spore-producing spines found on the underside of the mushroom cap or on the exterior of capless mushrooms. Stalk/Stipe - The stem of the mushroom. Ring/Annulus - Circle of tissue on the upper stem of the mushroom that marks where it was covered by a veil during development. Mushroom/Toadstool - Above-ground body of the fungus. Mycelium - An Underground network of tissue the mushroom comes from. Can stretch for miles.

4 Categories of Mushrooms. Mushrooms can be categorized in a variety of ways, such as their appearance, edibility, and spores. Generally, mushrooms can be placed into four categories based on how they feed. These categories are mycorrhizal, parasitic, saprotrophic, and endophytic. Mycorrhizal. Mycorrhizal mushrooms enter into symbiotic relationships with their hosts, meaning both they and their hosts benefit from their relationship. The Mycelium of these mushrooms either enters or wraps around the roots of its host plant. From here, the mycelium provides moisture and nutrients to the plant, while the mushroom benefits from sugars produced by the plant. From this relationship, both the mushroom and plant benefit, and farmers will sometimes incorporate mycorrhizal mushrooms strategically into their gardens. Some examples are porcini, chanterelles, and truffles. Parasitic. Similar to mycorrhizal mushrooms, parasitic mushrooms benefit from their hosts; however, in this case, the relationship is not mutual. Instead, these mushrooms feed off of their host, taking nutrients and can even eventually kill it. Lion’s mane is a well-known case of this mushroom, as well as cordyceps, which actually feeds on living bugs as its host. Saprotrophic. Saprotrophic mushrooms are the major decomposers of the forest. They grow on different substrates such as leaf litter, fallen debris, bark, wood of standing trees, and animal waste. Saprotrophic fungi secrete enzymes to break down organic matter, releasing mineral nutrients into the surrounding soil. Some examples are oyster, shiitake, and morels. Endophytic. Endophytic mushrooms are microscopic fungi that live inside healthy plant tissues without causing harm. Forming a mutual beneficial symbiotic relationship with the host. They may live inside their host plant their entire life or only part of their life cycle. Living inside the leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds. They receive nutrients through their mycelium that colonizes intercellular and intracellular spaces in the plant to get nutrients from their intercellular fluid. Some examples are Penicillium Chrysogeum, Taxomyces Andreanae, and Curvularia Protuberata.Mushroom Life Cycle. Mushrooms produce and release spores from their gills. Each spore is like a single cell each either male or female. Hyphae are groups of spores. Once hyphae meet, another hyphae begins the process of producing mycelium. The mycelium is similar to roots, and begins to grow and creates a web-like system. The hyphal knot is the first point at which the pinhead and the body of the mushroom begin to sprout. The hyphal knot transitions to a pinhead or baby mushroom. Some of the pinheads then sprout into full-grown mushrooms, and the cycle begins again.

Types of Mushrooms. Agarics (Gilled Mushrooms). Boletes. Chanterelles. Bracket Fungi and Polypores. Puffballs. Earthstars. Stinkhorns. Jelly Fungi. Cup Fungi. Morels. Truffles. Corals. Crusts. Earth Tongues. Lichen. Yeasts. Smuts. Bunts. Rusts.

Mushrooms in the Ecosystem

Mushrooms in the Ecosystem

Mushrooms: The Future of Sustainable Agriculture. 1) Convert waste products into food. 2) Require little water, land, and other resources to grow. 3) Cultivated in controlled indoor environments. 4) Can be grown in agricultural byproducts like sawdust and straw. 5) Shorter growth cycles, some mature in a few weeks. 6) Can be grown year-round indoors. 7) When grown indoors, they are less susceptible to weather-related crop failures. 8) When grown indoors, they require fewer herbicides and pesticides. 9) Mushrooms are highly nutritious and can provide protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. 10) Some mushrooms have been used to remediate contaminated soil and water. Why Prioritize Sustainable Agriculture? Environmental Conservation. Food Security. Climate Change Mitigation. Protecting Human Health. Economic Resilience. Preserving Rural Communities. Ethical Considerations.

Mushroom Recipes

Mushroom Repository

Mushroom Repository. Like the mushrooms in the display? Check out the online Mycological Herbarium of MacroFungi from the East Brook Valley! https://orb.binghamton.edu/macrofungi_eastbrookvalley/

Like the mushrooms in the display? The dried mushrooms are all real local species collected from the East Brook Valley!

Check out the online Mycological Herbarium of MacroFungi from the East Brook Valley!

The ORB

Sustainability Book Collection

Sustainability Book Collection. Do you want to learn more about mushrooms? Check out the Sustainability Book Collection or read available e-books online! https://suny-bin.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/collectionDiscovery?vid=01SUNY_BIN:01SUNY_BIN&collectionId=81369871260004802&lang=en

Do you want to learn more about mushrooms?

Check out the Sustainability Book Collection or read available e-books online!

The Sustainability Online Book Collection