Start Date
27-4-2023 9:00 AM
Document Type
Poster
Description
South Dakota is a large state with few people. Its summers are hot, with often-violent weather. Its winters are cold. Most of the state is dry grassland or agriculture, though the Black Hills region is densely forested. With such varied conditions, a wide variety of mushrooms can be expected. They grow abundantly in the ponderosa pine forests of the Black Hills, particularly in shady areas. Mushrooms are types of fungi that have a "plantlike," but they aren't plants because they don't make their own food (plants use photosynthesis to make food). The larger portion of many fungi is underground and can be acres in size. The underground part of the fungus uses enzymes to "digest" other substances that it can use as food. Mushrooms and other fungi often grow in association with plants - perhaps attaching to the side of a tree, or growing out of a dead log as it decays. They are important in helping to "recycle" nutrients and break down dead plant materials. Some fungi are very colorful -often with orange or red coloration. Others are less noticeable, blending into the litter on the forest floor. Depending on what time of year it is, you may see the "flowering" part of the mushroom, as the fungus enters its reproductive phase. Many mushrooms are poisonous, so they should not be touched, as even a small amount of spores can have an effect on humans. Mushrooms generally aren't eaten by other animals since they are mostly water and have little nutritional value as well as being toxic. Most of the mushrooms that humans eat are cultivated rather than wild.
Image
Mushrooms & Fungi of the Black Hills
South Dakota is a large state with few people. Its summers are hot, with often-violent weather. Its winters are cold. Most of the state is dry grassland or agriculture, though the Black Hills region is densely forested. With such varied conditions, a wide variety of mushrooms can be expected. They grow abundantly in the ponderosa pine forests of the Black Hills, particularly in shady areas. Mushrooms are types of fungi that have a "plantlike," but they aren't plants because they don't make their own food (plants use photosynthesis to make food). The larger portion of many fungi is underground and can be acres in size. The underground part of the fungus uses enzymes to "digest" other substances that it can use as food. Mushrooms and other fungi often grow in association with plants - perhaps attaching to the side of a tree, or growing out of a dead log as it decays. They are important in helping to "recycle" nutrients and break down dead plant materials. Some fungi are very colorful -often with orange or red coloration. Others are less noticeable, blending into the litter on the forest floor. Depending on what time of year it is, you may see the "flowering" part of the mushroom, as the fungus enters its reproductive phase. Many mushrooms are poisonous, so they should not be touched, as even a small amount of spores can have an effect on humans. Mushrooms generally aren't eaten by other animals since they are mostly water and have little nutritional value as well as being toxic. Most of the mushrooms that humans eat are cultivated rather than wild.
Comments
The faculty mentor for this project was Nancy Holcroft Benson, Biology.