Monotropa uniflora

Biological Overview

Habitat
They are found in the deep, dark, and damp forests where the rich soil lays.

Diet
They don’t photosynthesize, but they take sugars from fungi without giving anything back.

Role in Ecosystem
In the ecosystem, they role play as the vampire, because they steal nutrients from other plants without giving anything in return.

Behavior
They are fungi, so they can’t move, but people say they are thieves, because they steal nutrients from other fungi.

Human Impact

Humans have an impact on the ghost pipe mushroom, because they are killing the fungi by eating it to use as pain relief. When humans eat the fungi, the population slowly keeps declining. When humans pick the ghost pipe mushrooms, thinking it is just a normal mushroom, it is like picking a tree root; you are ruining its chance to survive and reproduce. The mushroom is also very sensitive to environmental changes, so if you pick this mushroom, you are at risk for killing it.

Creative Exploration

I’m nature’s ghost,
White, pale, and unknown,
I have no green leaves to feed on the sun,
Once summer’s done, my pipes of wax are back,
Up from the brown and moist soil I creep,
While this ancient forest I rest.

Abby Harper, C. Pitcock-Flowers

Book 7