Center for Forest Mycology Research

FS-FPL-4501

Our Mission

We currently have three specific research problem areas and a more basic mission problem. The problem areas are:

The potential of wood-inhabiting fungi as invasive species.

It is important to assess the danger of non-native pathogenic fungi to determine whether they pose a major threat to U.S. forests if accidentally introduced by international trade. This problem area includes most of our biodiversity studies since it is also important to know which fungi are already present in the forest in order to recognize potentially invasive species when they are introduced. Biodiversity studies are currently underway in Alaska, northern Minnesota, Belize and other Carribean countries. CFMR personnel are also involved in other Forest Service invasive species efforts including U.S. Forest Service Wood Import Pest Risk Assessment and Mitigation team (WIPRAMET) and the Exotic Forest Pest Information System for North America (EXFOR).

The biosystematics of Phlebia and related corticioid fungi.

Corticioid fungi have flat fruiting bodies and are frequently ignored by most mycologists since they are very difficult to identify. They play an extremely important role in the degradation of slash and wood debris, so it is important to be able to recognize and identify these organisms to get an accurate assessment of decay processes in the forest. They have also become important in the area of biotechnology, including biopulping and bioremediation due to their superior ability to degrade lignin and other aromatic hydrocarbons.

The role of wood decay fungi in the prevention of forest fires.

The build up of dead trees and slash in the forest is a major contributor to the massive forest fires that we have seen in recent years. A better understanding of the biology of the fungi involved with the decomposition of slash and coarse woody debris would allow managers to manage the forest to accelerate decomposition and decrease fire hazard.

The Mission Problem is represented by the maintenance of the culture collection and herbarium, including the distribution of known cultures and herbarium specimens, and the identification of unknown cultures and fruiting bodies of wood-inhabiting fungi for government and non-governmental scientist, industry and homeowners.