Episode 2: Roots!
An Introduction to Root Systems & Mycelium
Part 1 of the Mini-Series: “The Deep, Dark, & Dirty Depths” (non-consecutive episodes)
Listen as Josh digs down into the topic of root systems and mycelium. There are a lot of differences to these systems even though they can look and function somewhat similarly. In some ways, fungi/mycelium are more related to animals than to plants! Roots and mycelium are also important parts of ecosystems, from forests to riverbanks to plains. Recent studies have looked at what happens when these two systems overlap and how this has spread the somewhat romanticized idea of forest communication and “Mother Trees”.
Discussion Includes:
Plant Root Systems: Purpose, Functions, Structure, & Growth
Kingdoms vs. Clades
Fungi Mycelium Systems: Purpose, Functions, Structure, & Fruiting Bodies (Mushrooms)
Fractals
The Dust Bowl and General Environmental Importance of Plants and Fungi
How Humans Personify Trees
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References:
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