By Meg Kennedy<\/p>\n
It may be crushed under our feet and not given a second glance, but a local expert\u2019s new book explores why fungi is so vital to the global ecosystem.
\nLocal environmental photographer and ecologist Alison Pouliot studies fungi around the world, and her new book \u2018The Allure of Fungi\u2019 focuses on the various fungi of 12 countries \u2013 including Australia \u2013 presented in a series of text chapters and photo essays.
\nAlthough she spends half the year in Switzerland \u201cchasing autumn\u201d in the northern hemisphere, Ms Pouliot said the local Wombat and Lerderderg forests of Moorabool have \u201ca great range of fungi that grow in the many and varied habitat types of these environments.\u201d
\nMoorabool is also home to what could be \u201cAustralia\u2019s rarest fungus\u201d, the Auriscalpium \u2018Blackwood\u2019.
\nMs Pouliot said the rare fungus has \u201conly ever been found growing on a single tree, a narrow-leaved peppermint (Eucalyptus radiata), near Blackwood.\u201d
\n\u201cIt was first found in 2005 and so far, has not been recorded anywhere else,\u201d she said.
\n\u2018The Allure of Fungi\u2019 was launched recently in Daylesford (pictured) and was attended by almost 100 people.
\nMs Pouliot hopes attendees discovered that \u201cfungi underpin pretty much every terrestrial ecosystem on the planet.\u201d
\n\u201cAlthough fungi have been largely overshadowed by flora and fauna in Australia\u2026their vital ecological functions create architecture in soils, support plants and animals, and give our forests and gardens health and resilience,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cHence, it is important that we do everything we can to support these organisms by caring for our soils and environments.\u201d
\nMs Pouliot\u2019s advice for those in Moorabool who want to get involved in fungi exploration is to pick up \u2018Fungi of the Wombat Forest and Macedon Ranges\u2019, which documents over 100 of the local species.
\nAs the autumn weather falls on the Southern Hemisphere, it means Ms Pouliot is back in Australia for the time being.
\nDuring her stay, Ms Pouliot will be conducting various workshops, forays, seminars and other events in the local area, and looks forward to spreading awareness of the importance of fungi to Australian biodiversity.
\n\u201cIt has been an exciting time for me to have observed how interest in fungi has dramatically grown in recent years,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cFrom gardeners to farmers to foragers, people are recognising the importance of the fungi to our environment and to our lives. That gives me hope.\u201d
\n\u2018The Allure of Fungi\u2019 by Alison Pouliot is out now through CSIRO Publications, and is available to purchase for $49.99 at www.publish.csiro.au\/book\/7790\/.
\nMore information on Alison\u2019s workshops and seminars can be found on her website at www.alisonpouliot.com.
\n\u2018Fungi of the Wombat Forest and Macedon Ranges\u2019 is available through Wombat Forestcare at www.wombatforestcare.org.au.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Meg Kennedy It may be crushed under our feet and not given a second glance, but a local expert\u2019s new book explores why fungi is so vital to the global ecosystem. Local environmental photographer and ecologist Alison Pouliot studies fungi around the world, and her new book \u2018The Allure of Fungi\u2019 focuses on the […]<\/p>\n