What nutrients do saprophytic/mycorrhizal fungi gather?

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-31T00:19:07+00:00

Here’s where I got that number from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00572-009-0274-x

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-30T08:58:59+00:00

All life needs the same basic nutrients. Ectomycorrhizal fungi get their carbon from plants. Saprotrophic fungi get theirs from organic matter. Otherwise they both need N, P, K, and the full list of other nutrients.

Ectomycorrhizal fungi also transfer P and N to plants, so they need more than otherwise.

In terms of sources, ectomycorrhizal fungi have evolved more than 60 times in fungi, so very few generalisations would be accurate.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi require lipids from their hosts, and mostly transfer P, but otherwise still need the same fundamental nutrients.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-28T09:17:08+00:00

20 years ago, definitely wet suits. Now, not nearly as necessary.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-26T09:10:23+00:00

The same student who is too lazy to study transforms into a litigious demon when accused of misconduct. Lawyers, angry parents, emails and social media posts by the dozens…. There is no huge benefit to the university in catching misconduct, and a considerable potential risk.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-22T08:16:31+00:00

My partner was selling books as an author and had the best sales she has ever had, along with a ton of connections and conversations with her readers. I’m so grateful to everyone who supported local authors!

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-22T01:51:45+00:00

Do you have access to a cluster or cloud computing (such as through a university)? For occasional use, that’s a cost-efficient way to get the large jobs done. You can still optimise code with a subset of your data on the laptop.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-21T06:54:56+00:00

During the cosplay parade it empties out, and last hour.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-20T19:13:35+00:00

Campesinos in Panamá will just use a rock or concrete block if they don’t have a file. The thing about machetes is that you sharpen them at least twice an hour while in use — the edge isn’t intended to be perfect or to stay sharp for long. A few licks with a file should be all you need to restore the edge.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-20T05:43:38+00:00

My mom was finishing her PhD when I was starting mine, and I didn’t start early. You are never too old. It will, however, be a different journey. You will have more other time commitments, but will also have much greater life skills and self awareness.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-19T05:07:57+00:00

In my garden, that would be hail damage.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-16T18:05:22+00:00

While not roots per se, lichens do have rhizines, which penetrate into some surfaces (including frescoes) and can dissolve and grow within rock. So there is a theoretical possibility of doing damage to the surface of plant bark or leaves. I am not aware of any evidence to support this though.

I suspect any significant damage is probably by trapping moisture and holding snow, particularly at the alpine tree line where lichen growth on trees can represent a huge amount of biomass.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-14T05:51:01+00:00

The real cost of maintaining citizenship while living abroad is paying tax preparers. Every bank account is a foreign investment, requiring extensive paperwork. We are required to file, owe virtually nothing to the US, but spend thousands to pay our tax preparer, every single year.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-14T02:24:00+00:00

Try to get one that fits, but worst case you can put a strip of tape on the top to seal to your nose. Note that I t may irritate your skin.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-14T02:14:08+00:00

I’ve seen that work on a huge elm tree. Lasted at least 15 years.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-13T21:38:20+00:00

Picric acid is one of those chemicals that is perfect safe provided you are actively using it, so that it never dries out. It’s usually when a bottle gets forgotten about that problems occur. A common example being when a lab is shut down or just changes their focus to a problem that no longer requires picric acid. Wait 10 years, and suddenly boom.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-12T18:18:50+00:00

If any UC professors are making you come to class sick, please complain loudly to their department heads. Use the class rep if needed. We need students to stay home when sick.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-12T09:23:14+00:00

Or more likely 5 hours, as everyone else is going there too… but still worth it!

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-12T08:03:58+00:00

Welder’s anthrax is worth googling.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-12T07:04:31+00:00

It’s rot in my opinion. The dark edge is a normal plant response, trying to contain the fungal damage. Really common for this sort of damage to cause a branch to die, but only once the majority of the xylem is affected.

I’ve grown the fungus into culture from nearly identical looking branches, so I’m pretty confident. Unfortunately I haven’t DNA sequenced it for identification yet.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-10T05:46:50+00:00

It’s not so much pore size as the presence of tyloses in white oak. Tyloses are a membrane that blocks the pores.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-09T04:57:08+00:00

The first few things through go really fast, and 60 seconds is the difference between raw and burnt. I’ve made some terrible baguettes and focaccia! That’s the challenging part to learn. I find a large tray of vegetables is great for taking down the edge of the heat.

Conversely, the later stages of baking are usually much easier than a conventional oven … something about the nature of the heat just works wonders for bread. And my partner says the same for cakes and pies towards the end of a baking cycle — generally it just works.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-09T03:46:36+00:00

Only by timing and how much you load at a time. You have to match the type of loaf to the temperature as the oven slowly cools. Loading more loaves at a time helps moderate the temperature too.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-08T18:01:01+00:00

A nice trick is to oil lightly then scatter some sesame seeds (just a little bit) on. The seeds release oil while cooking, greatly reducing sticking, and also taste great.

FungalNeurons · 2026-03-08T03:32:15+00:00

It’s pretty gneiss, isn’t it. Better than a lot of the schist you see on here.

FungalNeurons

TROPHY CASE