Tundra Fungi

Tundra Fungi
by Patrick Flannagan
Alaska Science Forum

This column is provided as a public service by the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, in cooperation with the UAF research community.

Every acre of Arctic tundra contains more than two tons of live fungi; a birch forest in interior Alaska contains well over a ton. Thus, fungi constitute a substantial component of plant life in the north, as elsewhere. Completely lacking in chlorophyll, fungi survive by feeding on other organic materials. By decomposing dead trees and plants, fungi play a crucial role in maintaining soil fertility.

Please visit the website to learn more.

Comments: 0
Votes:6