Publications by authors named "Maribeth O Hassett"
Article Synopsis
- Millions of tons of fungal spores, particularly from mushrooms, are released into the atmosphere annually and can serve as nuclei for water condensation in clouds.
- Basidiospores, especially abundant above tropical forests, are discharged via a fluid droplet that evaporates when they become airborne, yet can reform in humid conditions.
- This research indicates that mushroom spores play a crucial role in rainfall generation in specific ecosystems and highlights concerns about forest sustainability in relation to precipitation.
The distinctive shapes of basidiomata in the bird's nest fungi reflect differences in the mechanism of splash discharge. In the present study, peridiole discharge was examined in Nidularia pulvinata using high-speed video. Nidularia pulvinata produces globose basidiomata that split open at maturity to expose 100 or more peridioles within a gelatinous matrix.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe bird's nest fungi (Basidiomycota, Agaricales) package millions of spores into peridioles that are splashed from their basidiomata by the impact of raindrops. In this study we report new information on the discharge mechanism in Crucibulum and Cyathus species revealed with high-speed video. Peridioles were ejected at speeds of 1-5 m per second utilizing less than 2 % of the kinetic energy in falling raindrops.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF