Fungal decomposition of organic matter and coprophilous fungi

Fungal decomposition of organic matter and coprophilous fungi

1. Mycology Presentation on
Fungal Decomposition of Organic Matter
& Coprophilous Fungus
Submitted To Submitted By: Aleena
Stanley
Dr: Arya P Mohan 1st Msc
Botany
St. Teresa’s College St.Teresa’s
Ernakulam College
Ernakulam

2. What are Fungi?.....
FungiareChlorophyll-lessthallophyteshavingheterotrophic,eukaryoticandspore
bearingorganismshavingacellwall.
NUTRITION IN FUNGI
●Saprophytes
●Parasites
●Symbionts
●Predacious Fungi

3. Fungi as Saprophytes…
●FungiarethemaindecomposersinmainlyecosystemparticularlyinForest.
●Oneoftheirmainfunctionistohelpreleasenitrogenandphosphorousfrom
deaddecayingmatter.
●Theydothisthroughaseriesofspecializedproteinsandenzymesintheircell
wallsandhyphae.
●Fungiareparticularlysuitedtopenetratelargepiecesofmatterlikewoodwith
theirhyphaeandbreakingdownitwithlignindigestingenzymes.

4. Decomposing Fungi….
●InForestCommunities,FungiareMajorplayersinacommunityof
decomposers.
●Itisresponsibleforbreakingdowndeadorganismsintocompoundstheyuse
tofeedthemselves.
●WhichistakenupbythePlants,alongwithbacteriaandmanyinvertebrates
fungialsohelptodecomposeanimalremains.
●Fungiaretheprimary-andmostimportantactorsinthedecompositionofdead
plantmaterial.
●Theirtentaclelikehyphaepenetratetoughplanttissuesinleavesandwood,
andsecretechemicalenzymesthatdegradeit.
●Simplecarboncompoundssuchasstarchesandsugararereleased.

5. ●Infact,theinitialstageofwooddecompositionisaccomplishedalmost
exclusivelybyspecialisedfungi.
●Asfungaldecompositionbreaksdownplantmaterial,itprovideshabitatand
foodforsmallanimals.
CARBONCYCLE:
●Fungifeedoncarbonsindeadplantandanimalremains,andintheprocess,
releaseCO2intotheatmosphere,whereitistakenupbyplantstocarryout
photosynthesis.

6. WOOD DECAY FUNGUS
●A wood decay fungus is any variety of fungus that consumes moist wood,
causing it to rot.
SOFTROTFUNGI WHITEROTFUNGI BROWNROTFUNGI
Uncommontypeofwoodrot,
usuallyfoundintoocold,
toohotanddampplaces.
Itdamages cellulose,
wood’sligninwhichcauses
woodtohavewhitespots.
Itoccurswhenatypeof
fungusgetsintowoodand
breaksdownthewood’s
cellulose.
Decompositionoccursat
slowerratethanothertwo
types,anditstartswithinthe
innercavityofwood
Infectedwoodbecome
spongyandsofttotouch.
Thisleadstocrackinthe
woodandcausesplitting.
ItisalsocalledDRYROT.

7. COPROPHILOUS FUNGI
(Dung loving Fungi)

8. Coprophilous Fungi
●TheyareatypeofSaprophyticfungithatgrowonanimaldung.Theyinclude
representativesofallthefourclassesoffungi.
●Certaingenerahavehighproportionofcoprophilousrepresentativeandsome
genera(eg.Ascobolus,Podospora)aremoreorlessexclusive.
●Firstreferenceofcoprophilousfungiisknownintheformofarecord
PILOBOLUSonHorseDung.

9. DISTRIBUTION….
●The distribution is closely linked to the distribution of herbivores on which they
rely on such as Rabbits, Deer, Cattle etc….
●Some Species specifically rely on Horse dung E.g Coprinus radiatus,
Panaeolus Campanulatus.
●Fungi belonging to certain genera also produce
mushroom.(Coprinopsis,Conocybe rickenii..)

11. PILOBOLUS
●Asthesporangiumandsporangiophoremature,thesporangiophorebuildsupa
veryhighturgorpressure.
●Sporangiumasawholeisshotoffsuddenly,directlyatthelight-upto3m.
●Adropoffluidonthesporangiumcausesittosticktowhateverithits.
●Phototrophicabilityallowssporangiumtobeshotoutofapileofdung,landon
gress,beeatenbyherbivores.

12. LIFE CYCLE
●Coprophilousfungireleasetheirsporestothesurroundingvegetation,whichistheneatenby
herbivores.
●Thesporesthenremainintheanimalastheplantsaredigested,passthroughtheanimal
intestinesandfinallydefecated.Thefruitingbodiesofthefungithengrowontheanimal
feces.
●Itisessentialthatthesporeofthespeciesreachesnewplantmaterial,sporesremainingin
thefeceswillproducenothing.

13. Application of Coprophilous fungi…
●FOOD INDUSTRY
●BIOREMEDIATION
●PRODUCTION OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
●ISOLATION OF SECONDARY METABOLITES
●ALCOHOL PRODUCTION.

14. References….
www.google.com
Bio.libretexts.org
Nature Journal (www.nature.com)
The Fungi, Geeta sumbali(2020)