Movement/Dispersal

Normally fungi propagate through formation of spores which are released out into the environment. However, the Tuber magnatum fungi grow underground so they depend on the digging animals for their movement. They depend on burrowing animals, such as a beaver, to dig up the soil and eat them. After the spores are inside the animals gut the animals would “excrete” the spores and would be released out in the environment. Now that it is out in the environment it would be enabled to have a symbiotic relationship with a new tree and so that would permit the spores to grow.