Mighton Woods Station 6

Welcome to Station 6, please click on the links below to learn more information.

Interesting sites near this station

Shelf Fungi

Shelf fungi or polypores are a group of fungi that form large fruiting bodies with pores and tubes on the underside, that inhabit tree trunks or branches consuming the wood, they are also the most important agent of wood decay by playing a significant role in nutrient cycling and aiding carbon dioxide absorption by forest ecosystems.

Polypores are also known as bracket fungi or shelf fungi because they characteristically produce woody, shelf or bracket shaped fruiting bodies that are called conks. Shelf fungi are mainly found on trees (mostly dead or dying) and coarse woody debris, and often resemble mushrooms.

Polypores are a lot more diverse in old natural forests with abundant dead wood than in younger forests. Currently, over a thousand polypore species have been described by science. However, a number of species have declined and are under the threat of extinction due to logging and deforestation.