This giant fungus is eating entire forests
It's a single, sprawling organism living underground and destroying trees
Deep under the pine needles of an Oregon forest
How hard do you think this was for science to crack?
The answer says more about you than about the discovery.
- It's a single, sprawling organism living underground and destroying trees
- The only visible clues to its presence are small clumps of honey-colored mushrooms that sprout from the base of infected trees in the fall.
- Despite its destructive nature, the fungus is essential to the forest's life cycle.
The Armillaria ostoyae, or the Humongous Fungus, spans 2,385 acres of the Malheur National Forest. Blue whales and giant sequoias are tiny compared to this single mushroom.
Most of the organism is invisible, living underground as a massive web of black, shoe-string-like filaments called rhizomorphs. These threads creep through the soil, seeking out the roots of evergreen trees.
Once it finds a host, the fungus invades the root system and begins to decay the tree from the inside out. It siphons nutrients to fuel its own expansion across the mountain range.
Two questions. Prove you actually read it.
Get both right and this discovery is certified: +50 XP toward your next rank. No account needed.
100 questions that make people say “wait, what?”
Get the complete Ultimate Trivia Pack instantly. It is free right now, works on mobile, and is printable.
Discussion (0)
No account needed. Drop your name, say what surprised you.
Loading…