Alison Pouliot

I found this book rather frustrating. On the one hand, Pouliot draws attention to the fact that (p240) "Forests are more than trees. When forests are destroyed, plants fungi and animals are lost, but also memory and imagination". And fungi are mostly invisible mycelia underground or within trees etc. So far so good, and I have no argument with this approach. But there seems to be a kind of superficiality to what she has written. There is not one photograph of mycelia in the soil (maybe that on p18 is supposed to be on the soil but it is not obvious). Nor is there any photos taken of microscopic specimens when most of the fungi are microscopic. And there is virtually no mention of the role of fungi in medical conditions or marine fungi. It's almost as though the only fungi that exist are those in the forests.
Having completed a mycology course at University many years ago I was looking for something with more substance. Pouliot seems to have been awarded her Phd for a rather discursive, rambling, tale decrying the lack of attention paid to fungi. And the book, as far as I can ascertain, is pretty much, the substance of her Phd. It's a kind of sociological-anthropological study more than a study of fungi.
Yes, the photographs are superb and I loved the little key to the photographs at the end of each group. That was really useful and interesting. But, having made the observation that fungi are much more than just the few fruiting bodies that we see on the surface .....she proceeds to show us mainly close ups of colourful or artfully arranged, fruiting bodies.
Half way through the book I felt the need to refresh my understanding of some of the taxonomy (which even in my day was morphing on an almost daily basis...and that was 50 years ago). But to my consternation, it seems that the best systematic introduction to mycology is still Alexapolous ...that I studied 55 years ago.....though I think there have been more recent updates. And Pouliot is probably correct that there are few places that one can go to study Mycology and it's not a very rewarding career move in terms of earning an income.
Is it cunningly pitched at the general reader who is not looking for details of taxonomy and trying to bring them onside to have fungi given greater attention by governments and the public generally? Is she trying to write lyrical prose ....such as this bit on p191: "Wild places shape and shift us in other ways. This might relate to what stirs the imagination and touches the heart, making the experience meaningful.........the 'affective' dimensions of fungi could be described as those that are experienced but go beyond , a more analytical understanding of them. It is about lived experience, about being there.......". Actually, when I read this bit I found myself wondering if she had jotted this bit of prose down while she was sitting in some sunlit glade ..and then felt she just had to incorporate it somehow into her text. It just seems like an add-on where it is placed.
I found it curious, given that she makes so much of the mycelia of fungi in the soil that there is no discussion of pathogenic fungi that occur in the soil such as cryptococcus neoformans. This is responsible for approximately 1million infections per annum world wide and 625,000 deaths within three months of infection. (Mainly from respiratory infection). And I have a particular interest because I suffered from a skin infection from this fungus whilst living in Spain. I was rather struck by the paucity of knowledge about its aetiology and occurrence. So, someone had shown it was present in pigeon droppings...and I was questioned about my dealings in pigeon droppings....but it's present world wide in soils and also commonly occurs in association with eucalypts. Clearly, this is an important fungus for people (it also infects animals) ....but no colourful fruiting bodies and certainly no attention from Alison Pouliot.
Admittedly, she is open about trying to improve the image of fungi and a large part of the book is devoted to the negative image that fungi tend to have...especially in the anglo part of the world (including Australia).
She does make some very good points such as the fact that fungi are rarely included in biodiversity goals. For example, Australia's "Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010-2030 defines biodiversity with the standard three-level definition of genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity , yet fails to explicitly include fungi. (Though, I guess, the three levels could be implied to include fungi). And generally, fungi are not included in projects such as fuel reduction in forests..which eliminate the leaf litter which sustain fungi.
I guess similar arguments can be put forward for most forms of micro-life: bacteria, bacteriophage, protists, viruses, algae, etc. They are just not included in official planning. Partly because they have not been documented and their roles are not understood and partly because they are "out of sight and out of mind" and partly because they are generally considered antagonistic to humans and therefore should be exterminated rather than sustained.
I found myself wondering just how qualified Alison was in regard to fungi when there was no knowledge demonstrated about microscopy or the examination of fungi in the laboratory...and no detailed knowledge demonstrated about taxonomic classification....apart from some speculative philosophical musing about species and the flexibility of classification systems. Maybe one should give her the benefit of the doubt ....though she has not demonstrated this sort of expertise.
One other curious omission is the complete absence of any discussion about the Asian connection with fungi. In particular, the Japanese grow and consume a very wide range of fungi in their diet. I think it is the Shiitaki mushroom that I've seen growing on carefully arranged piles of wood and, in Australia, around Sydney one of my alumni has established a very successful business in the commercial cultivation of edible fungi .......He studied mycology and put it into practice. (And, I recall in talking to him that he was very keen on the Japanese varieties of fungi).
All in all, a very interesting book (lovely photos) though very limited in my view. I was hoping for more. I give it four stars.… (meer)