The Fungi of Bousson: Creation of a Fungarium

Gonzalez, Daniel

The Fungi of Bousson: Creation of a Fungarium

Persistent URL

https://dspace.allegheny.edu/handle/10456/56730

Author(s)

Gonzalez, Daniel

Date Issued

April 28, 2023

Abstract

Fungi are an essential kingdom of life: a crucial part of forest ecosystems, having symbiotic relationships with 60% of all trees in the world and over 80% of all plants; are part of the food web, and they decompose old biomass to be used for new growth. Unfortunately, they are understudied, in part due to mycophobia, as they are associated with disease and death. Therefore, there has been a historical aversion to and neglect of them in western science. In fact, it is estimated that only .3% of total species have descriptions. As a result, there is little information available on fungi, and not much is understood about their diversity, ecosystem roles, and conservation needs. This leaves fungi vulnerable. This project aims to create a starting point for future mycological research at Allegheny College through the collection, documentation, and preservation of the fungi of Bousson from October-November 2022. The creation of a fungarium, a collection of dried fungi, allows for a wealth of potential future research into topics such as phenology, population genetics, range shifts, ecology, phylogeny conservation biology, and more. This project further works to encourage the public to find fascination with fungi through the creation of an ArcGIS StoryMap. The story map displays photographs of each fungus accompanied by a fun fact, linked to the location in Bousson in which it was discovered.

Major

Environmental Science

First Reader(s)

Bowden, Richard D.