
Mushrooms
Mushrooms might look strange, but they are an integral part of Earth's ecosystem. There are more than a million identified species of them on our planet, but they share many characteristics. The world would be a very different place without mushrooms (also called toadstools) for many reasons. They are eaten as food and used in medicines. They also recycle dead organic matter, like animals and leaves, and return the material back to the soil.


Photo credit: Molly hicks
Photo 1. Orange peel fungus
Photo 2. Rosy russula
Photo 3. Oyster mushroom