Slime molds mimic fungi at one stage in their life and colonial amoebae at another. It turns out that their genetic construction is closer to amoeboids than fungi so they are now considered protista. The two fungal groups we shall look at most are the Ascomycota or sac fungi and Basidiomycota or club fungi. Both of these groups have many species that produce a large, above ground reproductive body that is readily visible to the naked eye. Both groups also participate in the formation of lichens.
Lichens are a symbiotic association between a fungus and an alga.
They are successful on many substrates that tend not to be occupied by unassociated fungi and are sometimes important in helping converting rock to the minerals that can be taken up by other fungi and plants. Bryophytes , like fungi, are represented by two groups around here. Mosses are the most abundant and best known group, but we also have a few liverworts. Neither group is particularly conspicuous, but they are early indicators of ecosystem disturbance by large animals because few of them will grow on disturbed soils. They also help absorb rainwater, thereby reducing the impact of raindrops on the soil.