Thinking deeper into the subject and the material mycelium I am wondering if the animals like to live around it and if it is good for the mycelium to have animals living by or on it. I found a very interesting post by Gardener (n.d.) about the cycle of life in relation to mycelium. He mention what I have talked about in my previous post about interconnectivity and how mycelim helps trees comunicate. Then he describes the circle of animals, humans and mycelium:
"The Mycelium has evolved to farm for their “food source” plants and indirectly insects as well as animals and even humans. Anything that dies and is returned to the earth becomes food for the microbial life.
Mycelium has been around for hundreds of millions of years. They have evolved into a very efficient organism. They can communicate within all of the intertwined roots of plants. They communicate with trees through this network. Trees communicate with each other through this network. Insects and animals are attracted to these areas. Insects will eat other insects especially if the bugs are getting mineral-rich food sources. Animals, in turn, are attracted to other mineral-rich animals and plants. Lots of animals only eat plants (mineral-rich), and they are prime food for animals to eat them and get the minerals. Whatever dies will be eaten by the fungi.
Humans, Plants, and Mycelium bacteria have evolved together over the millions of years and have developed many ways of communication with each other. Yes, humans can communicate too with this Mycelium. Together, they provide for each other. The key to a healthy life is minerals. Lacking one or more minerals will eventually cause big problems, leading to an unhealthy state. This is not just true for plants but all living things especially trees and animals and humans. Whether plant, insect, animal, or human, being unhealthy is a magnet for pests and diseases.
The Mycelium of the world is one living being and is responsible for many things of which the growth of mushrooms is one. Mushrooms digest minerals found in decaying insects, plants, animals (and humans) and convert it to usable forms-which the plants can assimilate and we, in turn, can also assimilate.
You are what you eat is the old saying. The fungi eat the minerals, which is consumed by the plants, which are then eaten by the animals which in turn is eaten by us. Humans also eat the plants directly. These fungi will also eat and convert into the proper minerals (anything that dies and encounters the “skin”) of the Mycelium. In essence, we are Mycelium." (Gardener, n.d.)
This states the fact that both animals, plants and mycelium benefit from each other and create a circle of life. This makes me think about my design: the lower part of it can be living mycelium but the top part can be burned mycelium, where plants can grow to create shade for the lower ecosystem. The design will be like a pipe leading water trough and down to the living mycelium and eventually reach the soil. The birds can nest at the top maybe dropping more seeds that will grow.
References:
Gardener, I. (n.d.). The Mycelium Intelligence. www.linkedin.com. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mycelium-intelligence-andy-lopez
Invisible Gardener. (n.d.). Invisible Gardener. https://www.invisiblegardener.com/
(Invisible Gardener, n.d.)
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