Kingdom Fungi (Fungi)


Fungi Phyla Discovered in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Phylum Common Name Photo Where? Phenology
AscomycotaSac fungi and lichens HerePhenology
BasidiomycotaClub fungi HerePhenology
ChytridiomycotaLittle sporepot fungi(NA) HerePhenology
DeuteromycotaDeutero fungi(NA) HerePhenology
MicrosporidiaMicrosporidian parasites HerePhenology
ZygomycotaZygote molds(NA) HerePhenology

Can't find the Phylum you are looking for? Note:
Taxa on this list are only those contained in the ATBI database,and do not neccessarily include all
Park taxa from historic park reports, literature, or other sources that have not yet been entered in the Biodiversity Database.

In Case You Didn't Know ...
Fungi includes all mushrooms and molds, and everything in between. Ecologically, they are very important as they are responsible for the decomposition of organic matter. The biology devoted to the study of fungi is mycology. Prior to DLIA research, we only knew of 2,157 species in the Park. Now, the total is 2,797 with 57 of these finds new to science and 583 are new records for the Park.
Some uses of fungi include the following. 1) Directly as food (mushrooms) 2) Indirectly as food (leavening and fermentation) 3) Production of antibiotics 4) Various enzymes from fungi used in production of detergents and in industrial processes 5) Biological control agents for weeds and pests
Click here to find out some interesting things about Fungi biodiversity in the Smokies.

Taxon References for Fungi

Special thanks to the following leading researchers for their help and fieldwork contribution to the park knowledge of Fungi.
Dr. Karen Hughes - University of Tennessee
Dr. Andrew Miller - University of Illinios
Dr. Richard Baird

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