Mycelium running : how mushrooms can help save the world
Stamets, Paul2005
Books
This groundbreaking manual shows you how to save the world through mushroom cultivation. Fine filaments of living cells called mycelium, the fruit of which are mushrooms, already cover large areas of land around the world. Mycelium breaks down plant and animal debris and recycles carbon, nitrogen and other essential elements. Mycelium Running is a manual for the mycological rescue of the planet. That's right: growing more mushrooms may be the best thing we can do to save the environment, and in this groundbreaking text from mushroom expert Paul Stamets, you'll find out how. The basic science goes like this: Microscopic cells called "mycelium"--the fruit of which are mushrooms--recycle carbon, nitrogen, and other essential elements as they break down plant and animal debris in the creation of rich new soil. What Stamets has discovered is that we can capitalize on mycelium's digestive power and target it to decompose toxic wastes and pollutants (mycoremediation), catch and reduce silt from streambeds and pathogens from agricultural watersheds (mycofiltration), control insect populations (mycopesticides), and generally enhance the health of our forests and gardens (mycoforestry and myco-gardening). In this comprehensive guide, you'll find chapters detailing each of these four exciting branches of what Stamets has coined "mycorestoration," as well as chapters on the medicinal and nutritional properties of mushrooms, inoculation methods, log and stump culture, and species selection for various environmental purposes. Heavily referenced and beautifully illustrated, this book is destined to be a classic reference for bemushroomed generations to come.
Main title:
Mycelium running : how mushrooms can help save the world / Paul Stamets.
Author:
Stamets, Paul, author
Imprint:
Berkeley, Calif. : Ten Speed ; Enfield : Airlift, 2005.
Collation:
xi, 339 p. : col. ill. ; 23 cm.
Notes:
Formerly CIP. UkIncludes bibliographical references (p. 307-324)
Contents:
Contents Foreword . . . . . viii Preface . . . . . x Acknowledgments . . . . . xi PART I THE MYCELIAL MIND . . . . . 1 1 Mycelium as Nature's Internet . . . . . 2 2 The Mushroom Life Cycle . . . . . 12 3 Mushrooms in Their Natural Habitats . . . . . 19 4 The Medicinal Mushroom Forest . . . . . 35 PART II MYCORESTORATION . . . . . 55 5 Mycofiltration . . . . . 58 6 Mycoforestry . . . . . 69 7 Mycoremediation . . . . . 86 8 Mycopesticides . . . . . 114 PART III GROWING MYCELIA AND MUSHROOMS . . . . . 125 9 Inoculation Methods: Spores, Spawn, and Stem Butts . . . . . 126 10 Cultivating Mushrooms on Straw and Leached Cow Manure . . . . . 161 11 Cultivating Mushrooms on Logs and Stumps . . . . . 172 12 Gardening with Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms . . . . . 187 13 Nutritional Properties of Mushrooms . . . . . 201 14 Magnificent Mushrooms: The Cast of Species . . . . . 210 Glossary . . . . . 305 Resources . . . . . 309 Bibliography . . . . . 311 Photography and Artwork Credits . . . . . 329 Index . . . . . 330
ISBN:
9781580085793 (pbk)
Dewey class:
579.5163
Language:
English
BRN:
2224873
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