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How Do Air Currents Help Spread Fungi?

Fungi are a separate organic kingdom from plants and are more closely related to yeasts and molds. The most famous member of this group are edible mushrooms such as shitake and chestnut. Fungi are found around the world in a variety of conditions from semi-arid regions to semi-aquatic areas. Although the reproduction process varies, all fungi rely to a certain extent on air currents to reproduce.
  1. Spores

    • Fungi can reproduce both sexually and asexually, with or without a partner, but only sexual reproduction results in the production of spores, which require winds. Asexual reproduction is where another fungi starts growing from a parent. Sexual reproduction occurs when male and female cells come together to produce spores.

    Depositing

    • The first method of expelling the spores is when a fungus simply drops them on the floor. Underneath any fungi head there are many gills. Between these gills, spores are held and when they are ready the gills open and the spores fall out.

    Ejection

    • Other fungi have evolved a different way of ejecting spores. The puffball fungus, for example, opens when the spores are ready and waits for rain to fall. Rain drops hitting the fungus cause a plume of powder to be released. This powder is in fact a cloud of spores.

    Air Currents

    • After the spores have been released, it is up to the wind to disperse them. Regardless of whether the spores are deposited on the ground or forcibly ejected, the wind blows them to another area where they will settle, grow and reproduce. It is entirely up to the prevailing air currents at the time where the next batch of a fungus gene will grow.


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