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.
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