Mushrooms have great ecological and economic importance. Other macrofungi are critical decomposers. Macrofungi along with some bacteria, are the only organisms capable of decomposing cellulose and lignin, the two primary components of plant material. These decomposer fungi are termed saprobic, or organism that derive their nourishment from nonliving or decaying organic matter. Saprobic fungi are the primary recyclers in plant communities. Converting nutrients locked inside dead plant and animal material into simple compounds that can be used by growing organisms. A relatively few species are pathogens, or a disease-causing agent, of plants. In natural plant communities, these fungi promote age diversity in forest communities by killing older trees and plants that are scattered across the forest. However, in plantations where single species of same age trees are grown over large areas, they cause millions of dollars of damage annually. continue >>