One of the UK’s rarest fungi, which looks like an underwater coral, has been unexpectedly found in woodland belonging to international animal welfare charity, The Donkey Sanctuary.
The violet coral, Clavaria zollingeri, was recently discovered by one of the charity’s conservation officers, Helen Cavilla, at Paccombe Farm which is home to more than 350 donkeys.
A new study has revealed that fungi, often seen as pests, play a crucial role policing biodiversity in rainforests.
The research, by scientists at Oxford University, the University of Exeter and Sheffield University, found that fungi regulate diversity in rainforests by making dominant species victims of their own success.
Fungi spread quickly between closely-packed plants...
