III.A.1 Part Two-Compiling and Analyzing the Data

Materials:
Each student needs:

Instructions for the teacher:
  1. Instruct students to review their Student Data Sheets from Part One.

    Ask the students to divide their data sheets into two piles. Pile 1 will be mushrooms found on dead logs or other dead matter. Pile 2 will be mushrooms found near live trees and green plants and not on dead organisms.

    Often found on dead leaves, the earthstar is a puffball mushroom and fruiting body of a decomposer fungi. Carefully tap the mushroom center to release its smoky-looking spores



  1. On the chalkboard, list the total number of different kinds of mushrooms the class found (see format below). Write down the number of mushrooms the class thought were decomposers.

    How many? Name Description Decomposer? Plant Association
    3 White mushroom Simple, white-capped no Grows near oaks
    2 Red-brown mushroom Reddish-browncap, milky sap no Grows near oaks and pines
    1 Ringed mushroom White, rounded cap with ring around stem no Grows near oaks
    4 White bracket fungi White, on dead log, woody yes  


    Total # of decomposers: 4

    		 Total # of plant associated mushrooms: 6
  2. Explain that the mushroom and tree or plant association might signal a mycorrhizal symbiosis, or a relationship that benefits both the mushroom and the tree or plant. Ask students the following questions:
    • What kind of help can a mushroom give a tree?
    • Can a tree help a mushroom to grow?
    • How did the mushroom find the tree? (Spores were blown there and conditions were right.)

Results

After this activity, your students should:

  • Understand the role of decomposers and give examples.
  • Understand the meaning of mychorrizal symbiosis.
  • Understand the concept of a food web.
  • Know that some kinds of mushrooms use chemicals to defend themselves.
  • Be able to observe carefully and record data.
  • Be able to share and discuss observations with other students.
  • Be able to measure using a meter stick.
  • Be able to record data.
III.A.1-Part 1    Part 2    mushroom labels    student data sheet
III. LIFE IN THE LEAF LITTER LAYER
A. Mushrooms:    III.A.1    III.A.2    III.A.3
B. Life in a Microhabitat    III.B.1
C. Glossary    D. Questions for Student Evaluation