Ep 4 – Fungi, TX Monday 04/12/2023
Fungi are an ancient form of life, existing long before the first amphibians, reptiles or mammals roamed the planet. There are over 144,000 species of fungi – some can be poisonous and destroy trees, others can be very healthy to eat or can help crops absorb nutrients.
Despite several mass extinction events, fungi are the one form of life that always survive, and in this episode, we reveal what ancient fungi can tell us about historical climate events and how studying them might help us predict what will happen in our planet’s future due to climate change.
It may surprise you that mushrooms are Ireland’s most successful export crop, supplying half of the mushrooms eaten in the UK. Traditionally, mushrooms are grown in peat, but with the global effort to stop using peats and restore bogs, we meet the researchers who are racing to find growing alternatives.
And in Curious Chronicles, we join Fergus on a fascinating journey of discovery to reveal the intriguingly named, humungous fungus…
