A recent study indicates that rainfall makes forest mushrooms chit-chat, so to speak. Actually, scientists discovered that these mushrooms develop electrical signals after a rain shower. Researchers believe these electrical signals are the way that mushrooms conversate with one another.
Laccaria Bicolor Mushrooms
The study consisted of a certain type of ectomycorrhizal fungi called Laccaria bicolor. Researchers established that rain causes the fungi to chit-chat electronically with one another. But is it also possible they communicate with the trees as well? This a question scientists have been pondering for years.
The ectomycorrhizal fungi are typically found on birch, pine, and oak trees. They form a sheath around the root of the tree. Furthermore, the mushroom’s mycelial body creates vast underground networks allowing the fungi to absorb vital nutrients from the soil. Then they transfer the nutrients and water to the trees.
In exchange for providing the tree with sustenance, the ectomycorrhizal fungi receive photosynthetically fixed carbon. Additionally, the generality of this symbiotic interaction, Laccaria bicolor mushrooms potentially play a critical role in restoration and management interventions in these ecosystems.
Electrifying Conversation
In a statement, first author Dr. Yu Fukasawa of Tohoku University, stated, “In the beginning, the mushrooms exhibited less electrical potential, and we boiled this down to the lack of precipitation.” The other people who worked on the project were Takayuki Takehi and Daisuke Akai from the National Institute of Technology, Nagaoka College, and Masayuki Ushio from the Hakubi Center, Kyoto University (presently at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology).
Previous studies into whether fungi actually communicate with one another have been mainly conducted inside a laboratory. This made it difficult for scientists to study the mycelium in its natural habitat. In contrast, a recent study on the subject was conducted on the forest floor.
Researchers attached electrodes to six mushrooms in a cluster. Upon doing so they established the mycelium’s electrical signals increased after rainfall. Prior to precipitation, the fungi produced very little electrical current. “However, the electrical potential began to fluctuate after raining, sometimes going over 100 mV,” stated Dr. Fukasawa.
Moreover, researchers believe that there is a correlation between electrical transmissions and precipitation and temperature. Furthermore, the electrifying conversation appeared to be particularly strong in mushrooms that were close to one another. “Our results confirm the need for further studies on fungal electrical potentials under a true ecological context,” adds Fukasawa.
By Sheena Robertson
Sources:
Sci-Tech Daily: Rainfall Sparks Electric Chatter Among Forest Mushrooms
Frontiers: Back to Roots: The Role of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi in Boreal and Temperate Forest Restoration
IFL Science: Mushrooms Get Chatty After It Rains
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Georgios Kaleadis‘ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Daniela‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
