Among the blackened ground left by the Glenmore wildfire, Forestry and Land Scotland staff have discovered one of nature’s first signs that the forest is beginning to recover.
Fire loving fungi are already appearing in the burnt landscape at Glenmore, beginning a natural process that helps prepare damaged ground for the eventual return of grasses and other plants.
Known as pyrophilous fungi, these species are among the first organisms to colonise land following a fire and can often be spotted through their brightly coloured fruiting bodies emerging above the charred ground.
The fungi were spotted by Forestry and Land Scotland Senior Programme Manager Dave Clarke as staff continue to assess the aftermath of the wildfire.
Some grasses are also beginning to reappear, providing another early indication of the natural recovery underway.
Mr Clarke said:
“In the aftermath of any fire people always have concerns about wildlife and habitat recovery, often looking to spot the first green shoots.
“But before that stage, these charcoal loving fungi get to work and prepare the way by gradually creating the sorts of conditions and nutrient that will accommodate plants and grasses.
“And some grasses are already beginning to re-appear.
“They’re nature’s own Category 1 responders when it comes to wildfire recovery.”
Research suggests some fire loving fungi may already be present within the soil before a wildfire occurs, remaining largely unseen until conditions created by fire allow them to become active and visible.
Others may arrive from surrounding areas that escaped the flames or could already be present within plants.
Exactly how these different fungi operate following wildfires remains the subject of continuing scientific research.
Some are thought to help break down carbon in burnt material, while others may play a role in preventing soil erosion or reducing the loss of nutrients from damaged ground.
Different species can also appear during different stages of recovery, with one group effectively giving way to another as conditions gradually change.
Over time, those processes help create an environment where grasses and plants can begin recolonising the landscape.
The appearance of the fungi does not disguise the scale of the damage caused by the Glenmore wildfire or the recovery work still ahead.
But beneath the obvious scars left by the flames, the first stages of that recovery have already begun.
Long before the forest looks green again, some of its smallest inhabitants are quietly getting on with the job.
This article draws upon reporting by JSTOR Daily on the role of fire loving fungi in landscapes recovering from wildfire.
