Beneficial fungi and the health of tuart

The tuart forest and woodlands contain a rich diversity of higher fungi. Because of the known benefit of symbiotic fungi that form associations with roots (known as mycorrhizas), this component of the Tuart Project is focussing on fungi in this group. Examination of the roots of tuart seedlings grown in pots of soil collected from under healthy tuart in the field showed that the most abundant type of mycorrhizas are those formed with higher fungi such as the toadstools, puffballs and truffle-like fungi.