If Mold & Fungal Spores are Literally Everywhere, Then Why. . .

[kyphysics]

Don't Mold and Fungus Grow Everywhere Outside After Lengthy Rain? (thread title continued)

I've read that one can never get rid of mold and fungal spores entirely. They are literally everywhere in our environment. Everyone's house has them inside and outside. There is probably a mold spore sitting on your dining room table and as soon as you walk outside they are in the air. The key, I have read, is particle quantity per space. There are metrics to show how saturated the air or environment is with these spores. At a certain number, it's easier to get growth.

Okay, but why wouldn't even areas with fewer spores grow mold and fungus if they got wet and stayed wet for a few days. We had some horrendous rain in Virginia the past few weeks with one period of 6 to 7 straight days of rain and heavy humidity. Yet, I look outside at the grass and other areas and don't see fungus and mold growing where presumably there are spores everywhere.

I know they need a food source. Okay, fine, but isn't fence wood, grass itself, or just trash laying around a possible food source? What am I missing?

eta: I believe UV rays from the sun kill either the mold/fungus (and possibly their spores too??). But, that period of 6-7 straight days of rain and high humidity saw very few days with good sunlight (always very cloudy).

 

[BillTre]

Okay, fine, but isn't fence wood, grass itself, or just trash laying around a possible food source? What am I missing?

Almost everything will have certain things they are others they don't.
Sometimes they may be incapable of eating certain things.
Something that eats dead wood is unlikely to be able to eat live plants.

 

[kyphysics]

Almost everything will have certain things they are others they don't.
Sometimes they may be incapable of eating certain things.
Something that eats dead wood is unlikely to be able to eat live plants.

True, but mold and fungus have many sources of food and can grow on all sorts of places.

 

[BillTre]

There are many different species of mold and fungus.
They are different but can look similar.
This can give a mistaken understanding of their abilities.

 

[kyphysics]

Actually, I wonder if anything EATS mold/fungus in nature? Like an insect, a bird, or maybe other mold/fungus-like things? I tried Google searching, but only see results about what happens if humans eat mold or can we meet moldy fruits/foods. Seem like the engine doesn't understand my question that well or the page ranks favor that different interpretation.

ETA: Well, maybe not directly mold/fungus, but the things it grows on. Perhaps an animal in nature (opossum?) ends up eating the thing/stuff it grows on at times? I really do wonder.

 

[BillTre]

People among other things eat fungus: like mushrooms or things made with yeast (bread, wine, and beer).
Once they are dead, bacteria and other little things could eat them.
If they exist, they are a potential food source for something.
If they are already dead, they are easier to eat.

 

[Tom.G]

Fungus eaters include: round worm, chipmunks, turkeys, humans, moths, gorillas...

Try this search:
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&biw=&bih=&q=what+animal+eats+fungus

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Vanadium 50]

"I collect spores, molds and fungus."

 

[kyphysics]

Fungus eaters include: round worm, chipmunks, turkeys, humans, moths, gorillas...

 

[symbolipoint]

Topic is becoming long and tiring to read, but be aware or recall if you can, Intro. Microbiol. classes include taking samples from a variety of surfaces and places and attempting to wipe onto petri dishes with an agar layer; and see what grows. Students soon enough find that various things are found growing in those dishes. Mold, yeasts, and bacteria.

 

[RowieK]

Don't Mold and Fungus Grow Everywhere Outside After Lengthy Rain? (thread title continued)

I've read that one can never get rid of mold and fungal spores entirely. They are literally everywhere in our environment. Everyone's house has them inside and outside. There is probably a mold spore sitting on your dining room table and as soon as you walk outside they are in the air. The key, I have read, is particle quantity per space. There are metrics to show how saturated the air or environment is with these spores. At a certain number, it's easier to get growth.

Okay, but why wouldn't even areas with fewer spores grow mold and fungus if they got wet and stayed wet for a few days. We had some horrendous rain in Virginia the past few weeks with one period of 6 to 7 straight days of rain and heavy humidity. Yet, I look outside at the grass and other areas and don't see fungus and mold growing where presumably there are spores everywhere.

I know they need a food source. Okay, fine, but isn't fence wood, grass itself, or just trash laying around a possible food source? What am I missing?

eta: I believe UV rays from the sun kill either the mold/fungus (and possibly their spores too??). But, that period of 6-7 straight days of rain and high humidity saw very few days with good sunlight (always very cloudy).

You know... a long long time ago; the entire planet existed of mold.
Getting rid of mold is a difficult task, since spores can reach the tiniest of cracks within a surface.
Some molds are bad and require eredication, but not all molds.
Humans and Funghi share around 50% DNA, since all life on earth evolved from funghi.
Some grass molds aren't as easy to detect then your usual wood molds. The chance of mold being on the grass is big - without you even knowing its there. Also, high concentrations of UV light kills funghi. So molds can be more apperent on your porch or under your roof, because of the lack of sunlight.

 

[BillTre]

a long long time ago; the entire planet existed of mold.

This is just wrong.

 

[jim mcnamara]

This thread keeps getting worse, despite the efforts of folks with good understanding. It is now locked.

The implied question is "why don't fungi just start growing everywhere after long periods of rainfall?"
Answer:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_succession
Part 1: they try to grow, but some areas have been so disrupted and toxic that successional changes are obliterated. Example:
look at the blackish stripe in the middle of highway lanes. Leaked oil, grease, coolants are toxic and take years of microbial action and UV exposure to degrade

Principles of Virology, Multi-Volume (ASM Books) 5th Edition Flint, et al.

Part 2: just because you cannot see 'em doesn't mean anything. At all. Let's take viruses as a simple example.
Biomass is the total amount of fixed carbon (live things and "used to be live" things). Viruses make up 98% of all biomass on Earth. - per book above. Ever see a virus? No. Why? they almost all are very sub-microscopic. You need really expensive optics to see them. Exception are Mimiviruses which are super giants in the virus world - you still need a decent microscope to see these guys. Your skin has bacteria (and viruses that eat the bacteria). Do you ever see mushrooms growing on your skin as well? There are lots of skin diseases that show up as inflammation, some are from fungi example: athlete's foot.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/strange-but-true-largest-organism-is-fungus/
Part 3: molds are more than ubiquitous. Northern undisturbed taiga has subsoil mats of fungal hyphae that go on for miles.