The vital role of fungi in the ecology of grasslands is becoming more widely appreciated, sparking an increasing interest in identification. Compiled from surveys in the Lower Wye Valley, thisfield guide covers the species that are commonly found in meadows and other grasslands throughout the UK including the colourful waxcaps and many other fascinating species.
Following the destruction of 95% of meadows during the twentieth century, there is an urgent need to understand what little unspoiled habitat remains in order to plan the management and restoration of existing sites, as well as re-creating future grassland habitats. This book is a much-needed guide to grassland restoration and management. Providing a thorough overview of recent research on grassland restoration and its implications for practical grassland restoration and management, it introduces grassland communities and the wildlife they support, including examples of species of conservation concern, and considers the management of semi-natural grassland habitats with particular emphasis on drier grassland habitats. Chapters cover: - Grassland character and communities - Introduction to grassland wildlife - Managing semi-natural grassland - Grassland restoration – threats and challenges - Opportunities in grassland restoration - Plant material for grassland restoration - Defining success in grassland restoration. A variety of management techniques are examined, including soil amendment, cultivation, harvesting and maintenance in creating suitable conditions for the successful restoration of species-rich grasslands. It is essential reading for conservationists, site owners or managers, practitioners, conservation organizations and students of ecological restoration with an interest in the creation of new grassland habitats, the restoration of semi-natural grassland, as well as the continuing management of semi-natural (unimproved) grassland communities.
The Fungi, Third Edition, offers a comprehensive and thoroughly integrated treatment of the biology of the fungi. This modern synthesis highlights the scientific foundations that continue to inform mycologists today, as well as recent breakthroughs and the formidable challenges in current research. The Fungi combines a wide scope with the depth of inquiry and clarity offered by three leading fungal biologists. The book describes the astonishing diversity of the fungi, their complex life cycles, and intriguing mechanisms of spore release. The distinctive cell biology of the fungi is linked to their development as well as their metabolism and physiology. One of the great advances in mycology in recent decades is the recognition of the vital importance of fungi in the natural environment. Plants are supported by mycorrhizal symbioses with fungi, are attacked by other fungi that cause plant diseases, and are the major decomposers of their dead tissues. Fungi also engage in supportive and harmful interactions with animals, including humans. They are major players in global nutrient cycles. This book is written for undergraduates and graduate students, and will also be useful for professional biologists interested in familiarizing themselves with specific topics in fungal biology. - Describes the diversity of the fungi, their life cycles, and mechanisms of spore release - Highlights the study of fungal genetics and draws upon a wealth of information derived from molecular biological research - Explains the cellular and molecular interactions that underlie the key roles of fungi in plant diversity and productivity - Elucidates the interactions of fungi with other microbes and animals - Highlights fungi in a changing world - Details the expanding uses of fungi in biotechnology
A stunning, authoritative book on the fungal kingdom, uncovering the hidden world of more than 300 global species Discover the fascinating stories behind 300 species of fungi and understand the world of mushrooms like never before! Did you know that fungi put the fizz in champagne and the flavor in chocolate? Fungi is everywhere we look in a forest, under the sea, and in the kitchen. In this beautiful book, leading fungal biologists Lynne Boddy and Ali Ashby bring you closer to 300 species of mushrooms and lichens through fascinating facts, mushroom datasets, and detailed illustrations. Discover some of the fastest speeds in nature, specimens that glow in the dark, and fungi that clean up oil spills. Humans have had a close relationship with mushrooms for thousands of years-from using the shiitake for healing, to telling stories of enchanted fairy rings, to cooking gourmet dishes with rare specimens. Bringing together technology, medicine, food, culture, and nature, this fascinating book will open your eyes to the wonders of the hidden kingdom all around us. With tips for mushroom spotting in any habitat, species identification notes, a grow-your-own guide, and more, this book is the ultimate fungi lover's companion.
Readers will perhaps be surprised to find a volume about fungi within a handbook of vegetation science. Although fungi traditionally feature in textbooks on botany, at least since Whittaker (1969), they have mostly been categorised as an independent kingdom of organisms or, in contrast to the animal and plant kingdom, as probionta together with algae and protozoa. More relevant for ecology than the systematic separation of fungi from plants is the different lifestyle of fungi which, in contrast to most plants, live as parasites, saprophytes or in symbiosis. Theoretical factors aside, there are also practical methodological considerations which favour the distinction between fungal and plant communities, as has been shown for example by Dörfelt (1974). Despite their special position the coenology of fungi has been dealt with in the handbook of vegetation science. It would be wrong to conclude that we underestimate the important differences between fungal and plant communities. The reasons for including the former are that mycocoenology developed from phytocoenology, the similarity of the methods and concepts still employed today and the close correlation between fungi and plants in biocoenoses.
Mushrooms, the first of a major new series of books on British natural history, provides a remarkable insight into the natural and human world of fungi. Peter Marren, in his inimitable, relaxed style, guides the reader through the extraordinary riches of this often overlooked group, from the amazing diversity of forms and lifestyles that populate the fungal landscape, to the pursuit of edible fungi for the pot, and the complexities of identification thrown up by our modern understanding of DNA. Throughout the book, the author tells a story rich in detail about how we have come to appreciate and, in some cases, fear the mushrooms and toadstools that are such an integral part of the changing seasons. Marren also provides a refreshingly candid view of our attempts to name species, the role of fungi in ecosystems, and our recent efforts to record and conserve them.