wildlife wednesday — Snow Mold

When the snow melts away it is always interesting to see what has been going on below. Most obvious are the eskers and dirt mounds from pocket gophers and runways of voles. In some areas, where the snow has been particularly persistent, it may look like spiders have been awfully busy. What looks like cobwebs or sometimes downy feathers is actually a fungus called Snow Mold. The fungus is present in soils and ground litter but is inactive until the right conditions are present. For Snow Mold the blanket of snow provides the ideal habitat with still air, moisture, and temperatures just above freezing. Usually Snow Mold forms small web like patches but can spread if the snow lasts long enough, like with snow drifts and packed snow. These fine strands are the mycelium, or fungal webbing, and allows transfer of water and nutrients to the fungus, kind of like plant roots. Once the snow melts away and temperatures warm, the mycelium dries and decomposes. It stays dormant through the summer until we see those heavy, persistent snows next winter.