Degraded urban soils can be difficult to restore. They may be compacted, stripped of organic matter, contaminated, poorly drained or affected by repeated disturbance. Fungi cannot solve every soil problem, but they may support practical assessment, restoration and ongoing management when used as part of a broader site plan. For councils and municipal remediation teams, … Read more
Urban waterways are often affected by compacted soil, loss of organic matter, altered drainage, invasive plants, erosion and contamination from surrounding land. Fungi cannot solve all of these problems, but they may support a broader restoration program when their role is matched to the site and managed carefully. Fungi are the organisms responsible for much … Read more
Neighbourhood stormwater can carry soil, litter, oil residues, nutrients, metals, and other pollutants from roofs, roads, driveways, building sites, and gardens into drains and waterways. Fungal systems are one possible way to help slow, filter, or biologically treat some of this runoff before it reaches a sensitive area. These systems use fungi, usually as part … Read more
Fungal enzymes are attracting interest as a possible tool for industrial remediation: the treatment of contaminated soil, water, sediments, or process residues. Their appeal is straightforward. Fungi produce enzymes that can break down complex organic materials, and some of these enzymes may also act on chemical pollutants. In the right conditions, this could support treatment … Read more
Swales and garden drainage areas can help direct, slow, and absorb rainwater while adding useful habitat to a garden. Fungi are one part of the living soil community that may support these areas, particularly where organic materials are breaking down and moisture levels vary. However, fungi are not a substitute for good drainage design. Their … Read more
Industrial mycoremediation is the use of fungi, fungal mycelium, fungal enzymes or fungal biomass to reduce the concentration, toxicity, mobility or bioavailability of contaminants in soil, water, sediment and waste materials. The approach draws on fungi’s natural abilities to decompose complex organic matter, interact with metals and form extensive networks through porous materials. Fungi may … Read more
On a small property, ponds, swales, drains and seasonally wet ground often become part of one connected landscape system. Water moves through soil, vegetation and organic material, carrying nutrients and sediment as it goes. Fungi are one of the many organisms involved in that system. They can help break down leaves, branches, woodchips and other … Read more
Urban brownfield land is property whose reuse or redevelopment is complicated by the actual or potential presence of contaminants. It may include former workshops, fuel facilities, factories, industrial yards, railway land, dumping areas, service stations and sites filled with demolition debris or imported soil. The contamination is rarely a single, neatly defined problem. Petroleum hydrocarbons … Read more
Urban councils manage a constant movement of environmental materials: stormwater flows from streets into drains and waterways; green waste is collected from parks and verges; sediment accumulates in channels and treatment areas; soils are disturbed by construction, erosion and compaction; and contaminated land may require investigation, containment or remediation. These systems are already managed through … Read more
Farm wood waste is often treated as a disposal problem, but clean woody residues can sometimes serve as useful biological filter media. Shelterbelt trimmings, orchard prunings, small branches, woodchips and selected forestry residues may provide structure for water movement, microbial activity and fungal decomposition. The opportunity is practical rather than automatic. Not every piece of … Read more