Wood-degrading fungi

Wood-degrading fungi, wood-eaters, are cool--in part--because they eat woody materials. Working with wood-degrading fungi, we can transform what we normally consider waste into art, products, and regenerative materials. Wood-eaters are also integral parts of forests, which is cool in and of itself.

Wood-degrading fungi are decomposers and weavers of ecosystems. Many--though, not all--form reproductive structures colloquially refered to as mushrooms.

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  A mushroom-forming wood-degrading fungus digesting a fallen tree.
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  Mushrooms eminating from a tree.
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  Mushrooms producing a gelatinous substance.
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  Mushrooms eminating from leaf litter.
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  A mushroom emerging from a tree stump.
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  A very large mushroom, deep within a forest.

Humans venture into forests on forays to observe fungi.

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  A table covered with mushrooms.
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  The fruits of a mushroom foray on display.

Humans eat wood-degrading fungi, mostly the kind that form mushrooms.

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  A basket of mushrooms foraged from a German countryside.
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  Edible wild mushrooms being prepared for dinner.

Additionally, we could partner with wood-degrading fungi to enable a global network of distributed mycological production and weave a more sustainable world for all earthlings.

A cartoon schematic illustrating the potential for global shipping networks to underpin distributed mycological production.

Below are some interesting wood-degrading fungi. Please add your favorite.

Ganoderma lucidum 10597-SS1

Trametes versicolor

Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Schizophyllum commune

Fomes fomentarius

Agaricus bisporus