When scientists discovered one of the world's largest organisms, a fungus on the Olympic Peninsula, the media coverage magnified the Pacific Northwest's reputation as a land of fantastic mushrooms. Commercial harvesting of mushrooms on public lands has grown in recent years and is now a multi-million dollar business in the Pacific Northwest. Recreational mushroom collection has also undergone expansive growth. There are many compelling reasons to ban mushroom collection in this region. The many forms and hues of the delicate mushrooms add mystery and beauty to the forest.
Mushrooms disperse spores so that future mushrooms can develop.
Fungi fill a number of important ecological roles and contribute to the strength and flexibility of the entire forest community. A mushroom is the fruiting body of a fungus. The actual body of the fungus spreads out in the soil or in decaying wood. When you see a mushroom, realize that there is a difference between the mushroom and the fungus. For example, if you found a ring of mushrooms in the forest, the actual body of the fungus lies under the ground, interlaced with the soil, while the mushrooms serve as vessels to disperse the spores of the fungus.