Fish, Forests and Fungi
Every year, the US consumes a significant amount of salmon. Whether the salmon is farmed or wild, consumers love it due to its taste and nutritional value. Salmon is one of those species of fish that can survive in freshwater streams and in the open ocean, which makes them even more remarkable.
Mushrooms also have nutritional aspects that are beneficial, however, its taste and texture is not loved by all. It is believed that you either love mushrooms or you cannot stand eating them even though they are very healthy and important to the environment.
Recently, a graduate student at the School of Aquatic and Fishery Science spent a summer working with the UW Alaska Salmon Program studying ecosystems along three different salmon streams. This is when a fascinating and important connection was made between fungi and salmon. Adult salmon spawn in freshwater and produce thousands of eggs. After spawning, the adult salmon die and their bodies provide nutrients to the ecosystem. Well graduate student Anne Polyakov determined that Fungi are one of the primary decomposers of the deceased salmon. The Fungi consumes the nutrients for their own metabolic needs then also passes them onto other plants. “Fungi are typically left out of the equation when scientists track and model salmon nutrient flow through the salmon stream forests,” said Polyakov. “But these fungi are very important, as they connect the soil below to the plants above, and also form networks that allow for possible redistribution of nutrients to other plants and fungi.”
Nature is truly remarkable with how every species have a specific role to play within the ecosystem. Even after so much research, we are still continuing to learn more about our environment. Who would of thought that fungi have such an important role in the decomposing of an aquatic species. To learn more please see an article written with the College of the Environment at the University of Washington https://environment.uw.edu/news/2022/11/fish-forests-and-fungi/
Photo provided by College of the Environment at the University of Washington