While on an afternoon hike last fall, I sat down at the base of a large tree to take in what might be going unnoticed. Within seconds, a chipmunk appeared from behind a pile of large rocks. Based on its behavior, I suspected this chipmunk had had the good fortune of a past encounter with a hiker willing to sharing a snack. When it realized that I had nothing to offer, the chipmunk turned plus began searching the area. It quickly stopped plus began digging. Lucky guy, I thought, assuming that the chipmunk had located a cached acorn buried by a hard-working gray squirrel. It came as a surprise, then, when in less than a minute, the chipmunk unearthed an acorn-sized truffle!
Most of us have heard of truffles, though we often associate them with fancy European restaurants; black plus white truffles, in particular, are prized ingredients. But truffles exist here, as well, plus while our Northeastern chipmunks probably don’t have gourmet tastes, they’re certainly gourmand in their taste for truffles.
Truffle terminology
A wide variety of fungi are found in most forests, plus loosely speaking, they obtain nutrients in one of three ways. Saprotrophic fungi are decomposers. They release acids plus enzymes that break down dead tissue into smaller molecules that they can absorb. Decaying wood, plants, plus even some animals can become food for a saprotroph. Examples of these include oyster plus shiitaki mushrooms. Parasitic fungi infect a living host plus sometimes kill it. The distinction between parasitic plus saprotrophic fungi isn’t always clear; for example, some bracket fungi that produce conks on the exterior of a tree trunk can be both. Mycorrhizal fungi form symbiotic relationships with the root systems of forest plants. Common examples include porcini, chanterelle mushrooms, plus almost all truffles.
The fungal “mycelium” – a mass of branching, thread-like fibers – encapsulate the roots of a tree plus extend out into the soil where they capture water, nitrogen, phosphorus, plus other nutrients that are then transported to the tree’s roots. In return, the mycelium fibers obtain carbohydrates (sugars) from the roots. A number of field plus laboratory experiments have demonstrated that removing the fungus substantially reduces the growth rate of a tree plus can result in its death. So, healthy trees need their fungi plus fungi need their trees.