A great disservice is done if mushrooms are labeled only as destroyers. In the economy of a forest community, mushrooms are important soil enriches and necessary agents of decay. If we think of trees and shrubs as continually removing nutrients from the soil and locking them up in branches and leaves, then we can see what would happen without something to reduce dead debris and thus replenish the soil. Various species of mushrooms are found under certain kinds of trees and shrubs. Various species of Boletus, Russula, Lactarius, and Amanita mushrooms can be expected to appear beneath the Monterey pines each rainy season.
Some mushrooms tend to occur in a variety of habitats, but many are restricted in distribution.
Scientists have discovered that the mycelium of a number of species surrounds and often penetrates the roots of host trees while ignoring other tree species nearby. This fungus-tree relationship is called mycorrhizal. This results in a more efficient nutrient-absorbing tool. In some natural situations where the soil is not highly fertile and the fungus does not develop, conifer seedlings often show signs of nitrogen starvation and ultimately die. The continual rain of leaf and branch material to the forest floor provides an inexhaustible supply of food to ground-dwelling fungi.