Investigating Fungal Diversity and Symbiotic Relationships

By the end of this lab you should be able to… 

1. List the shared and unique characteristics of fungi.

2. Discuss the evolutionary relationships of the different fungi phyla.

3. Describe general fungal features of structure, reproduction and spore dispersal.

4. Recognize and identify members of the phyla Chytridiomycota, Zygomycota, Glomeromycota, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota.

5. Identify features and reproductive stages of the genus Allomyces from the Phylum Chytridiomycota.

6. Identify features and reproductive stages of the genus Rhizopus from the Phylum Zygomycota.

7. Identify the unique features of the genus Pilobolus from the Phylum Zygomycota.

8. Describe the importance of the phylum Glomeromycota as endomycorrhizae.

9. Recognize and identify the genera Penicillium, Peziza, Saccharomyces and Cordyceps as members of the phylum Ascomycota.

10. Describe the reproductive features and events on the life cycle of Peziza as an example of the phylum Ascomycota.

11. Describe the reproductive features and events on the life cycle of a general basidiomycete fungus of the phylum Basiciomycota.

12. Differentiate between different morphological forms of the phylum Basidiomycota including clubs, polypores, puffballs and stinkhorns.

13. Describe the different morphological forms of lichens.

14. Be able to recognize and identify the genera of specific examples of local lichens.