Speaking of Mycorrhiza . . .

In the current issue of Arizona Highways (which is one of my
favorite magazines, but is NOT a scientific journal!), an article
about the Kaibab squirrel, found only in the Ponderosa pine
forest on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (the CLOSELY related
Albert Squirrel is found in other Arizona Pondersoa forests),
says that these squirrels . . .

"relish truffles. . . .

"Together, in fact, the ponderosa pines, the truffles and the
squirrels enjoy a symbiotic relationship that ensures their
mutual survival.

"According to Joseph Hall in his book _Linea: Portrait of a
Kaibab Squirrel_, truffles attach themselves to ponderosa pine
rootlets with tiny, threadlike extensions. The fungi help
transfer nutrients and water from the soil to the tree, while
absorbing carbohydrates and amino acids from the tree's root
tissues. But beneath the forest floor, the fungi have no way to
disperse their spores. When a squirrel digs up and nibbles a
truffle, the fruiting body of the fungi, the spores pass through
the animal's digestive system to be scattered abouot the forest."

So here we have one way in which Mycorrhiza spores may get
transferred from point A to point B in nature (and in pots?
Assuming they're needed in pots ;-).

Anyway, all you Ponderosa Pine Bonsai fans might take note. Find
a Kaibab squirrel, then let him poop in your pot.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Our life is
frittered away by detail . . . . Simplify! Simplify. -- Henry
David Thoreau - Walden

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