Studies have shown that fungi are able to disperse their spores over a wider area, even when there is no wind. So scientists have shown that mushrooms generate water vapor and suggest that in this way spores can actually have measurable effects on weather patterns, that is, they can create local weather conditions.
They explained this as follows - the lower part of the mushroom hat is covered with billions of tiny spores located on the tops of tiny petioles in pores, and condensation of water vapor from the air.
At first, one drop of water forms a drop of water that falls at the base of the spore and waits for other droplets and thus slowly grows.
When a drop of water is large enough, that is, too large, it suddenly drops out of the spore, and the sudden displacement of the mass is so large that it catapults the spore into the air at a rate of approximately 90 meters per second.
Scientists point out: “Millions of tons of slow fungi are dispersed into the atmosphere every year. These living cells, along with plant spores and pollen grains, can act as nuclei for the condensation of water in clouds.
Mushroom-releasing basidiospores form a significant part of these aerosols, especially above tropical forests, and the kinetics of this process indicate that basidiospores are particularly effective as nuclei for the formation of large water droplets in clouds.
Through this mechanism, fungal spores can promote precipitation in ecosystems that support large populations of diverse fungi. ”
In addition to numerous other studies, this is further evidence of the great global importance of mushrooms to our planet.