Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Breathing space. There is no doubt that human health benefits from regular opportunities to spend
time in the forest. Perhaps the light filtering through the foliage makes us feel calm and harmonious
inside. This may be what Antonio Gaudí had in mind when he designed the Sagrada Familia cathe-
dral in Barcelona. The pillars supporting the church branch out like trees, and the light streaming in
through windows in the ceiling makes you feel as if you were in the middle of a wood
Fungi and bacteria are quickly on the scene when something dies. The latter thrive
in nutrient-rich environments and when worms and other digging animals disturb
organic matter. Fungi, on the other hand, favour nutrient-poor conditions and pre-
fer peace and quiet because the action of worms damages their delicate hyphae.
If left undisturbed, fungi can develop large hyphal networks capable of absorbing
carbohydrates in one place and nitrogen in another. Unlike bacteria, they do not
necessarily rely on all nutrients being present in one spot.
Some fungi have developed a capacity to apportion their resources over a very
large surface area. Sick building syndrome is often caused by mould growing in
damp wood, but it is Serpula lacrymans , otherwise known as dry rot, that is every
homeowner's worst nightmare. It can attack dry wood provided it has access to
moisture from the ground outside the house. Serpula lacrymans transports this
moisture through its tissue, which grows in thick masses along the stone founda-
tions at the base of the wooden structure. As a result, dry rot can grow even on
dry wood. Many species of fungi work in a similar way in the wild, overcoming
dry patches of ground by transporting water through extensive networks of hyphae
permeating the soil.
Soil's heterogeneous nature enables it to host a myriad of species. In a grow-
ing root, small organisms congregate round the tip, which is where carbohydrate
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