Ammonia fungi

Ammonia fungi are characterized by the rapid development and high germination rates of fruiting bodies in the presence of ammonia or other nitrogen-containing materials with alkaline soil conditions. These fungi naturally occur after decomposition events like animal excretion or death. Reproduction can be classified into two categories including early and late phase ammonia fungi. The addition of high amounts of ammonia, urea, or other nitrogen-containing materials can cause ideal soil conditions that the ammonia fungi thrive in and then revert back to pre-application conditions. Ammonia fungi that develop sporophores after applications of nitrogen-containing materials are currently being studied in the field and laboratory for their mechanisms of colonization, establishment, and occurrence of fruiting bodies.