Upon the Earth - slime moulds

Slime Moulds

Soon after snow melt and once the strong spring sun reaches freshly turned saturated soil, biological activity reaches a frenzy. In particularly wet springs sometimes appear masses of shiny jelly. These slimy masses appear to be moving. These are the Slime Moulds, neither plant nor animal, but now added to the Kingdom Protista.

They are slimy only when they first appear in clusters,  as protoplasm. They have the ability to move, in a streaming fashion and engulf nutrients. This contraction and expansion of the plasmodium continues until fruitbodies are produced. Generally, when food is abundant, these masses are not produced. Rather the slime moulds exist as tiny single-celled individuals. Their food is decomposing plant material and form part of the nutrient cycle and recycling.

These bizzare forms are especially prevalent in areas of constant moisture. They frequent lawns, bare soil, rotting logs and many other places. Look for them in compost and bark mulch in urban areas. The photographs shown were included in a Virtual Museum of Canada exhibit, The Fungus Among Us, produced by the NS Museum of Natural History. They were used with permission granted by the photographer, Dr. George Barron.

Hemitrichia serpula, photo by George Barron
Lycogala epidendrum, or Wolf's Milk Slime, photo by George Barron
Tubifera ferruginosa, photo by George Barron