**5.6 Fungi**

Fungi play important roles in a rainforest ecosystem. They are the parasites, saprophytes or symbionts. As parasites, they invade living plants, cause diseases and eventually bring deaths to the plants. As saprophytes, they grow on dead plants, break organic materials and return the nutrients back to the soil. As symbionts, they form mycorrhizae with plant roots and form lichens with algae. In addition, some fungi can be food for animals in the forest. Kuala Keniam forests have a rich diversity of fungal flora, which is dominated by various kinds and forms of mushrooms and polypore or bracket fungi. For instance, the bird's nest fungus, coral fungus, long net stinkhorn (**Figure 5**), cup fungus, jelly fungus and puffball are thriving in the area.

**Figure 5.**

*Phallus indusiatus (long net stinkhorn) is one of many fungi species that grows in the forest floor of Kuala Keniam forests.*
