| Fomitopsis pinicola | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Polyporales |
| Family: | Fomitopsidaceae |
| Genus: | Fomitopsis |
| Species: | F. pinicola |
| Binomial name | |
| Fomitopsis pinicola | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Fomitopsis pinicola | |
|---|---|
 | Pores onhymenium |
 | No distinctcap |
 | Hymenium isdecurrent |
 | Lacks astipe |
 | Spore print isyellow |
 | Ecology issaprotrophic |
 | Edibility isinedible |
Fomitopsis pinicola, is astem decayfungus common on softwood and hardwood trees.[1] Itsconk (fruit body) is known as thered-belted conk. Thespecies is common throughouttemperateEurope andAsia.[1] It is a decay fungus that serves as a small-scale disturbance agent in coastal rainforest ecosystems. It influences stand structure and succession intemperate rainforests. It performs essentialnutrient cycling functions in forests.[2] As well as a key producer of brown rot residues that are stable soil components inconiferous forest ecosystems.[3] It has been reported that mushrooms have significant antioxidant activity.[4]
The cap is hoof-shaped or triangular, and sometimes shelflike.[5] It is hard and tough, and up to 30 cm or more across and 15 cm thick.[6] Its surface is more or less smooth, at first orange-yellow with a white margin, later dark reddish to brown and then frequently with an orange margin. The pore surface is pale yellow to leather-brown, 3–4 pores per mm. It grows as thick shelves on live and dead coniferous or (less commonly) deciduous trees.[7] Thespores are pale yellow and smooth.[6] The species also grows as a layer of tubes on the bottom of fallen wood.[5]
Thefruiting body ofFomitopsis pinicola is called theconk. It is a woody,pileate fruiting body with pores lined withbasidia on its underside. As in other polypores, the fruiting body is perennial with a new layer of pores produced each year on the bottom of the old pores. The pores are whitish when young and become somewhat brownish in age.[7] This mushroom is inedible[8] due to its woody texture, but it is useful as tinder. The basidiocarps of the fungus have been reported to have medicinal usages in Asia.[3]
There is currently a splitting ofF. pinicola occurring to isolate distinct species that have all previously been classified asF. pinicola. DNA analysis supports splittingF. pinicola into three groups-F. pinicola,F. mounceae, andF. schrenkii.[1]Fomitopsis pinicola is found inEurope andAsia,Fomitopsis mounceae is on the east coast of the US, west coast of the US and midwestern US, andF. schrenkii is found at higher elevations in the latitude of the Rocky Mountains, fromCanada to centralMexico.[1]
Similar species includeGanoderma lucidum,Laricifomes officinalis,[6] andHeterobasidion annosum.[5]
Most of the stem decay (heart rot) in mature forests that results from this fungus does not interfere with the normal growth and physiological processes of live trees since thevascular system is not affected. It is classified as abrown rot, which primarily degradescellulose in tree stands. The early stage of wood decay appears as yellowish to brownish discoloration with the advanced stage appearing as a brown and crumbly breaking into cubical pieces.[3] Wood impacted by this fungus may become more brittle and prone to breakage in high winds, and cannot be used for pulp production.[2] This species requires exposed wood of wounds for entry, continuing their decay after the tree dies. On dead trees, the fungus general affects the sapwood and then progresses intoheartwood.[3]
The fruiting bodies of the fungus produce abundantbasidocarps andbasidiospores which are generally dispersed in air currents and germinate upon contact with wood or other substrates,[3] but the actual degradation of the wood is by thethread-like vegetative part of the fungus inside the trees. The fungus can occur anywhere on roots or the stem, but is most common low on the bole, where frequent wounds promote infection.[9]
This stem decay fungus is found on live conifer trees insoutheast Alaska such asWestern hemlock,Mountain hemlock,White spruce,Lutz spruce andSitka spruce. The tree stem decay is caused by the fungus when it invades and colonizes the wood of living trees and decomposes the wood before the tree is dead. This brown rot fungus degrades only cellulose, leaving the other primary constituents of wood,lignin, as a considerably less dense but fairly stable residual structure that is suitable for excavation bywoodpeckers.[9]
This fungus is normally found on deadpines, but can be found on all conifers. It can also be observed growing on large stem wounds, broken tops, and dead tissue of live trees.[3] In mature forests, these stem decay fungi cause enormous annual wood volume loss of Alaska's major tree species. Approximately one-third of the old-growth timber board-foot volume in Southeast Alaska is defective, largely due to decay from this type of fungus. Conversely, there is very little decay in young-growth stands without prevalent wounding from commercialthinning activities, wind damage, or animal feeding. By predisposing large old trees to bole breakage and windthrow, stem decays serve as important small-scale disturbance regimes in these temperate rainforest ecosystems where fire and other large-scale disturbances are uncommon.[2]
This stem decay creates canopy gaps, influences stand structure and succession, increasesbiodiversity, and enhances wildlife habitat. The fungus also performs essential nutrient cycling functions in these forests by decomposing stems, branches, roots, and boles of dead trees. Cavities created by the fungus in standing trees provide crucial habitat for many wildlife species includingbears,voles,squirrels, and a number ofbird species. The lack of disturbance in these areas and longevity of individual trees allows ample time for this slow-growing decay fungus to cause significant decay. There is a growing interest in acquiring methods to promote earlier development of stem decays in second-growth stands to achieve wildlife and other non-timber objectives.[2]
Media related toFomitopsis pinicola at Wikimedia Commons