The Morelander Edition 10 2021-22

Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Moreland

EDITION 10|2 NOVEMBER 2021

THE MORELANDER

FUNGI IN THE ENGINE ROOM OF LIFE

Mycologist Sapphire McMullan-Fisher shares with us some secrets of the mysterious world of fungi

Pages 3 -5

Award of Excellence for Club Bulletin 2018-2019

Moreland Rotary acknowledges the Wurundjeri people of the eastern Kulin Nations on whose unceded lands we conduct our business. Moreland Rotary respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past, present and emerging. Moreland Rotary also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.

Cover: Indigenous mycorrhizae like the Cortinarius are important symbiotic partners with trees and shrubs. Despite efforts to restore vegetation on the Merri Creek, this is the first time this usually common genus has been seen (June 2021) (Sapphire McMullan-Fisher) THE MORELANDER

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Fungi in the engine room of life

Neither mycology and nor mycologists (people who study fungi) would be on the tip of most tongues and definitely not front of mind but Sapphire McMullan-Fisher, a mycologist herself, a backyard famer host and a Moreland resident made a most compelling case for why they should be. Sapphire though declares herself as being a bit unusual in her field having a passion for ecosystems and the connections between species as well. This is what creates opportunities for life as life must get its energy somehow

Let’s start with some science though:

Plants are very clever in that they collect Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere converting it to Carbon (C) using the sun’s energy and a process called photosynthesis. We are all carbon based organisms and plants are critical to all of life. Plants create their own energy this way and obtain the rest of their nutrients such as phosphorous (P) and microelements from below the ground. Where fungi come in is that plants are not very efficient at getting nutrients out of the soil and fungi facilitate this.

Plants can communicate when distressed via fungal networks in the soil a bit like two cans connected by string (kids experiment). Some have even dubbed it the Wood Wide Web! A fungus can recognise a distressed plant and feed it sugars drawn from other plants via the fungal network so it is far from a simple picture beneath the soil.

Most of the research on soil fungal networks has been done in the northern hemisphere but we lack and need research here especially in the low nitrogen (N) soils we find in most of in Australia. Perhaps in Australia Acacia plants (these have nitrogen fixing partners as well) can act like a ‘mother tree’ by feeding for a wider plant community. We need data to really know what is going on.

Plants can live without fungi but need feeding and water at the right times. Industrialised farming has trashed the soil with added chemicals, compaction and a simplified plant system. The soil then lacks that diverse support system and it may take many decades to get back to a more diverse form when this ceases.

That’s assuming there are local fungi that can disperse into the area.

Both evolved together coming out of the oceans into the creeks and then onto land.

Fungi take carbon and break it into smaller parts being part of the decomposition or breaking down process in the soil.

Some of these fungi developed an early symbiosis with plants through called mycorrhizae (roots) with plants receiving the bulk of their sub-soil nutrients from their fungal partners. Plants developed better roots over time but this interdependence continued.

Fungi take nutrients from the soil for transfer to plants which in turn share sugars with the fungi for energy. Fungi vary greatly according to their environment with some good in wet conditions, some in dry conditions while others are good at extracting phosphorous from the soil which is valuable for plants. They also can protect the plant roots from pathogens. A young tree may have a network of 15-20 fungal partners under the surface or even more as part of a fungal network which feeds them a range of vital nutrients.

THE MORELANDER

Cortinarius on the Merri Creek (see cover for close up view),

TEXT:ADAPTED FROM SAPPHIRE MCMULLAN-FISHER'S TALK | IMAGES: SAPPHIRE MCMULLAN-FISHER

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Fungi in the engine room of life What is the health of ecosystems in the urban environmnt?

which may well be counterproductive.

Sapphire’s front garden is indigenous (local plants) which can that all types of species are present such as fungi and birds. She puts the trimmings behind the hedge up to 20cm deep for birds to shelter from cats while this continually decomposes feeding the soil. If put in the green bin it would be effectively harvesting nutrients.

DNA tools would need to be used to know what we are doing and we need to develop a knowledge system as fungi improvement leads to greater resilience in our landscapes overall.

Ectomycorrhizal are present on the Merri Creek which Sapphire observes often. She has seen are two exotic types often. And just twice has two indigenous mycorrhizae. Such low diversity not enough to support heathy ecosystems. Exotic mycorrhizae may give greater support to weeds as they are exotic and possibly natural partners. She has noticed that with the recent wet years that weeds are thick in the creek in the high nutrient basalt plains soil.

We need to get away from single solutions to our major environmental issues. Fungi are but one part of the solution but a hugely important part.

Bushfires

Sapphire was in the CFA in Christmas Hills and did fire and fungi research There is a group of fungi which break down the lignin, a hard She says s younger forests are more flammable with 80 years polymer in wood, being the only other group apart from termites regrowth is a short time in the wider scheme of things. which can do this. Coal is effectively fossilised wood and plant materials that remained stored in the ground because there were The resulting death of small mammals such as betongs has a no suitably evolved fungi at the time to break it down. Many huge impact too. Fungi are a critical factor in the health of people think beetles like borers eat wood, they may eat the wood marsupials and many ground dwelling have adopted fungi as a but can’t digest the lignin instead they digest the threads of food source helping to spread the spores, mix things up and fungi in the wood instead. adding to diversity by bringing a choice of fungi to the local plants. It then comes back to the soil building process. The The mushrooms, puffballs and all the wonderful shapes of fungi double impacts of intensity and frequency of fires makes things are the fruit of the fungus. These pop up to spread the spores of much worse. the fungi but the body of the fungus remains unseen, working in the ecosystem. So when you see them pop up you should take Mature forests are where many fungi survive, mature patches are time to wonder what the fungus is doing! reservoirs of biodiversity which is lost in repeated burning with a decade or less as we saw with the 2019-2020 catastrophic fires.

Restoration of ecosystems There is a need to put fungi diversity back into young forests from older remnants to enhance their capacity to regenerate as The restoration of ecosystems works well if fungi are present they have been severely compromised. but they are not always and this may contribute weaken Some fungi can bind soil in burnt areas and this can be a critical ecosystems with lower resilience especially in the face of part of restoration. There is a great need to get diversity back to climate change. avoid weeds so let’s not log old growth areas!

Some Merri Creek fungi

There is scope for improving restoration to get diversity back. It is all about utilising healthier remnants and not just moving soil Some web references

https://fungi4land.com/ https://funfungiecology.com/ THE MORELANDER

Lawyer’s wig (Coprinus comatus)

Green staining coral (Phaeoclavulina abietina)

TEXT: ADAPTED FROM SAPPHIRE MCMULLAN-FISHER'S TALK | IMAGES: SAPPHIRE MCMULLAN-FISHER

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Who is Sapphire?

Sapphire is an ecologist who has special interest in the conservation of biodiversity, particularly the macrofungi and mosses. She did her doctorate at the University of Tasmania on ‘Surrogates for cryptogam conservation – associations between mosses, macrofungi, vascular plants and environmental variables.’

In 2018 with Roz Hard and many Australasian Mycologists and amateurs in ‘love’ with fungi, started the project to develop a land management book for Australian Fungi with the working title Fungi4Land. Sapphire has been involved with Fungimap* since 1999 and many other Australian fungi groups including MYCOmmunity and QMS. She is a representative on International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) Specialist Groups: Species Monitoring and Mushroom, Bracket and Puffball.

She is also active with Australian scientific groups like the Education Subcommittee of the Australasian Mycological Society, Australian Bryophyte Workshops and community groups including many Field Naturalist Clubs and Landcare groups and Australian Plants Societies.

Orange Pyronema mycelium Amanitas are common mycorrhizal fungi but holding soil together after fire (SJM sadly none have been seen fruiting on the McMullan-Fisher) Merri Creek (SJM McMullan-Fisher)

Back to Bunnings!

Moreland and Ivanhoe Rotary clubs feature in the Sunday Age, 31 October 2021 TEXT: SAPPHIRE MCMULLAN-FISHER | IMAGES: SAPPHIRE MCMULLAN-FISHER

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About Rotary District Governor's Newsletter

"Our District, Our Voice" is the monthly newsletter of District Governor Anne Reid in 2021-22.

There is a lot of information about the many Rotary projects and events across our District. Simply click here to read the latest edition Members of Rotary are part of a diverse group of community and professional leaders working to address community and international service needs and to promote peace and understanding throughout the world.

Rotary districts are a way of grouping a number of clubs in a particular geographic area. The area covered quite often crosses state and even international boundaries.

Rotary District 9790 encompasses the northern Rotary clubs receive a charter suburbs of Melbourne and from the worldwide organisation - stretches north and north east of Rotary International.

Victoria to the Murray River and up into parts of NSW. A Rotarian belongs to a particular Rotary Club often near his/her For more information about home or work or sometimes Rotary District 9790, click here because of the club meeting time.

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Rotary Leadership 2021-22 Rotary International: President: Shekha Mehta(Susanne) , Rotary Club of District Governor: Anne Reid , Rotary Club of Alexandra Assistant Governor Group 2: Emma Davis, Rotary Club of Moreland Rotary Club of Moreland President: Emma Davis

Club Service Roles 2021-22

President President Elect Secretary Treasurer Community Service Vocational Services Membership, International Service and Assistant Bulletin Editor Rotary Foundation Youth and Assistant Secretary Club Administration and Governance Environment and Bulletin Editor Australian Rotary Health Public Relations Club History Valued members Honorary Members

Emma Davis TBA Rosemary Freeman John Hoffmann Rosemary Freeman Brian Bennett Trevor Moyle Rosemary Freeman Silvana De Pretto Nino Galgano and Lee Garwood David Redfearn OAM Rosemary Freeman Russell Stuckey and Brian Bennett Nino Galgano Elly Gardner, Jo Connellan The Hon. Kelvin Thomson, Helen Bailey, John Awler, Richard McCarthy

District 9790 /Multi District Roles 2021-22

Assistant Governor, Group 2 and Director, 2023 Convention Host Organising Committee District Community Service Chair and Australian Rotary Health District Legal Officer District Bulletin Editor and Peter Toomey Community Police Award Shine On Awards

Emma Davis Rosemary Freeman Nino Galgano David Redfearn OAM Brian Bennett

WHEN AND WHERE WE MEET:

Moreland Rotary Club meets most Wednesdays at 7.30 for a 7.40 am start.

We meet at the Sorrento Bar, 801 Sydney Road, Brunswick, 3056 HOW TO GET A COPY OF THE MORELANDER:

If you would like to receive our bulletin via email each week, email our editor at:

dredfearn@vtown.com.au WHERE TO SEND FORMAL CORRESPONDENCE:

Attention: The Secretary, Moreland Rotary Club, PO Box 219, Coburg, Victoria, 3058

Chartered 14 August 1996 - Sponsor Club Coburg Rotary Club | Incorporated 13 August 2019 Designed using Canva - www.canva.com

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Images by David Redfearn and logos from rotary.org unless

otherwise specified.

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Upcoming events and meetings A standing invitation exists for all readers of The Morelander to attend

Moreland Rotary Club meetings and some of our other events. Please let us

know if you intend to join us by ringing David Redfearn on 0448 852 747 or

emailing on dredfearn@vtown.com.au (click on email address).

Upcoming speakers/events

3 November: District Governor Anne Reid's visit (Zoom) 10 November: Monthly Board Meeting (Zoom) 17 November: Michael Chew Peace Fellow: Social Change Initiative - to be confirmed (via Zoom at Sorrento Cafe) 24 November: TBA

Our Guest Speakers

Moreland Rotary Club invites speakers to our club both from our local community and further afield. They come from a wide range of backgrounds and are invited because they hopefully inform and stimulate our members and guests. We feel that this is of value in fostering a deeper understanding of our diverse community and even providing guidance as to the types of activites and projects our club may engage in. However the opinions expressed by our speakers do not necessarily reflect any official viewpoint of Moreland Rotary nor those of individual club members. Irrespective of this we always offer a warm Rotary welcome to all of our speakers.

click here @RotaryMoreland

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During the pandemic we sometimes only meet via Zoom on Wednesday mornings from 7.30-8.30 am but, when we can, we meet in person at our usual venue (listed on page 6). You should contact us beforehand in case restrictions are in force but you can always join us on Zoom at any time and the link is below.

We always aim to have great guest speakers whether meeting in person or virtually!

Why not join us one morning? Simply ring David on 0448 852 747 the day before to RSVP or go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3068589175 just before the meeting to join in.