Bracket Fungus

The stump with the bracket fungus near the Walton's field.

A new bracket fungus on the side of a stump under a big Doug Fir.

This one was on the end of the broken part of the tree.

Tree is a Doug Fir. 

Another Fallen Oak Tree

This clump of fallen oaks is at the corner of the fence.

The left one has a rotten center.

Both trees were dead. 

Shelf Fungus

This is the first year I have seen tiny shelf fungus on this log.

The log is by the corner where the cross trail goes south.

Looks like several different varieties.

The underside is dark. 

Moss, Algae and Lichen

Moss and Lichen/Algae

Very full of pores. 

Will monitor.

White and brown lichen? 

 

Another Oak Tree Fell

This tree is across the path from the other two.

Same kind of break, near the base.

All the trees were already dead. 

Waterfowl Return

Mallards.

Wood Ducks

 

White Feathery Fungus

 

Water in Our Pond

No waterfowl. 

 

Fallen Oak Trees with Crust Fungi

Interesting fungi on the fallen tree.

Could be brown crust fungus.

This tree came down recently.

The hole where this tree grew.

Another fallen tree nearby.

The hole where the soil lifted up with the shallow roots.

These two trees are near the steps halfway to the fence along Marvin Rd.

Shelf Fungus

Most bracket fungi that are visible during the winter are woody and perennial, adding a new layer to their shelves each year – thus getting larger and thicker.

This is the underside.

This is the underside showing the gills.
Winter is a great time to look at certain elements that are more difficult to see in the forest when all of the trees have their leaves. One of those might be fan-shaped or shelf-like growths that can be found on the sides of trees and stumps.

These growths are actually a type of fungus called shelf or bracket fungi. Bracket fungi are related to puffballs and mushrooms, as well as other fungi. Many are woody and long-lasting in nature, while a few are fleshy and short-lived.

These fungi are non-photosynthetic, which means that they are unable to produce their own food by using the sun’s energy. Instead, these organisms get their nutrition by digesting cellulose and lignin from within the wood on which they are growing. They are an important part of the nutrient cycle in a healthy forest.

Upper and under side of these brackets.

 A bracket fungus begins its life as a spore, one of hundreds of thousands produced by a mature fungus. If the spore lands on a favorable location, such as a tree stump, it sprouts tiny thread-like mycelium, which invade the stump. Mycelium cells manufacture and secrete enzymes that digest the wood. The tree’s cellulose is broken down into its simple sugar building blocks, which are absorbed by the fungus. The space vacated by the dissolved wood leaves room for the fungal mycelium to grow deeper into the tree.

Shelf Fungi From Clubmoss to Preserve

I brought these from the log by the creek.

These got lost in the leaves.

Moss and Lichen

 What grows on tree bark?
Lichen, Algae, and Moss on Trees | University of Maryland
Lichen, algae, and mosses grow harmlessly on tree trunks and no control is necessary. They are considered an indicator of good air quality.  Feb 27, 2023

Garry Oak Ecosystem Restoration https://goert.ca/about/what-are-geo/
https://goert.ca/ - Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team Canada.

https://www.columbialandtrust.org/lichenandoak/
The site has some of the region’s last remaining stands of mature Oregon white oaks (Quercus garryana), or Garry oaks, which offer the only known substrate for rare, slow-growing species of lichens. Used as food, shelter, and nesting material, lichens in Pacific Northwest forests are critical for squirrels, birds, deer, bats, and invertebrates such as wasps and butterflies. Lichens are ecological indicators, susceptible to changes in air quality. They thrive in regions of high air quality and can be absent from cities due to air pollution. In forest canopies, lichens can moderate humidity and temperature and enrich soil content, allowing neighboring plants to thrive.

More Shelf or Crust Fungi - Stereum Hirsutum

I found these brown fungi on a log across from the other ones.

They are really hard to see unless the sun is shining on them.

These are on a stump. They have a fuzzy top so are hirsutum (hairy).

Underside.

These are on a stump next to the brown ones. 

 

Acorns Sprouting

These are acorns from the trail in the preserve.

They are all sprouting.

I gave them to Seth. 

 

Shelf Fungi - From Utah State Edu.- Stereum

https://www.svims.ca/council/Crust.htm 

These are all on the logs at the turn in the path. 

I rolled these logs over, some were on the back side.

Stereum fungi.

The sunshine made them glow.

Hymenochaetopsis tabacina

I'm not sure which were top and which were bottom sides.

I think this was bottom.

https://www.usu.edu/herbarium/education/fun-facts-about-fungi/shelf-fungi#:~:text=These%20layers%20look%20like%20growth,only%20be%205%20years%2Dold 

What is Shelf Fungi?
These fungi make shelves or brackets to produce spores above the ground. They are known as polypores (many pores) because the spore producing cells line pores. The pores make them different than many mushrooms. They also differ in not having a stem or only a short lateral stem. The boletes are the only mushrooms having pores instead of gills. The boletes have central stems and a fleshy texture.
Shelf fungi are woody, leathery or fleshy. If fleshy, they do not have a central stem. Their pores range in size from tiny to large and are the same size within a species. Basidia, spore producing cells, line the walls of the pores. The spores have to drop down the pore into the air without sticking to the sides. The pores as a result are perfectly vertical. Occasionally, a shelf will continue to grow after a tree leans or falls.
The new pores will be vertical, but at an angle to the old pores. Woody shelves that resemble horse's hoofs are called "conks". The confusion caused by all of these names is the reason scientists use scientific names. A scientific name is only used once for one species.

Woody Shelves
Woody shelves may be several years old. They add a new layer of spore tissue every growing season. The old layer is covered by the new one. These layers look like growth rings in a tree. One author reported counting 37 rings. Ten layers may mean the shelf is 10 years-old if there is only one growing season (spring). If there are two growing seasons per year (spring and fall), it may only be 5 years-old.
One of the largest shelves weighs 300 pounds. Unfortunately, it isn't known how many growth layers it contains. Woody shelves are a micro (small) habitat. They provide a unique place for animals to live. Spiders, mites, and insects live in large shelves. A few of the insects are specialized and only found in shelf fungi. Some beetles are very slim so they can fit inside a pore. They hide in a pore and eat spores. There are enough insects and other animals that a food web is created. The spiders and some insects are predators that feed on other insects. Their prey include fly larvae and small insects.
Woody shelves are impossible to break with your hands and difficult to cut. This toughness results from the kinds of hyphae (filaments) that are used to construct the shelf. Easily crushed mushrooms are made of thin-walled hyphae. Some of the hyphae in woody shelves are thick-walled and the hyphae are interwoven making them tougher. They resist tearing or splitting because there are no planes to split along in the tissue.
COUNTING RINGS: “Layers of pores/tubes on perennial brackets of fungi cannot be reliably used to judge age, because there is not necessarily just one new set per year. There could be several, or perhaps even no new pores”

Uses
Artists use shelf fungi to make etchings and beads. The pore surface of the Artist's Conk, Ganoderma applanatum, changes color when bruised. A nail produces broad lines; sharp needles produce very fine lines. An intricate etching takes a lot of patience and time. Beads are made by carving large shelves much like you would a block of wood. Shelf fungi are used as herbal medicines. A bag on the body of the 5,300 year-old Ice Man mummy contained pieces of Piptoporus betulinus. This shelf fungus when eaten causes diarrhea. He probably carried it to control a whipworm infection in his colon. The reishi or Ling Chi shelf fungus, Ganoderma lucidum, is a traditional Asian medicine.
Most shelf fungi are inedible because they are very tough. As a result, shelf fungi are ground into powder and used to make teas in herbal medicine. Another herbal shelf fungus is Turkey Tail, Trametes versicolor. One edible species is the sulfur shelf or chicken-of-the-woods, Laetiporus sulphureus. The new, tender, layer of pore tissue is trimmed off and cooked. Although it is highly recommended, it causes stomach upsets in some people. Another highly recommended shelf fungus is hen-of-the-woods or sheep's head, Grifola frondosa. Again, some people report problems eating this species.
THE ROLE OF SHELF FUNGI
"From a practical point of view, when found on dead trees or stumps, their role as tree decomposes provides ecological utility to the forest environment. On the other hand, their discovery on an otherwise healthy backyard tree could indicate disease and subsequent demise of the tree."

Tough and Resistant
The shelf fungi are a major wood rotting group. Once a tree is infected, the fungus cannot be killed. They cause millions of dollars in damage through lost wood production and lumber decay. The only treatment may be to harvest younger trees before the rot spreads too far. Cutting younger trees also has some negative effects. The loss of older trees has caused the local extinction of some shelf fungi. The infected trees also provide nesting sites for birds and squirrels. The rotten wood is easy to excavate and logs provide cover. These rots attack the top of a tree, the heart wood inside, and the base of the stem. The tree stem often breaks as a result even though the tree is still alive and has leaves.
The mycelium, body of the fungus, decomposes chemicals in the tree cells. Brown rot is the result of a fungus not being able to break down lignin in the cell walls. Lignin is a large reddish brown molecule that makes cells stronger and more waterproof. White rots attack both lignin and cellulose (molecules in paper). The rotted wood is white because they tend to leave cellulose behind. Scientists are exploring the use of white rot fungi to convert wood chips to paper "pulp". This "biopulping" technique reduces energy use and pollutants. White rot fungi can also destroy toxic chemicals like PCB's in soil.