Pine Bracket

This bracket fungus had a soft, orange-tan pore surface. The upper surface appeared to be brown and very woody, but it was 6 feet up the tree and I couldn't see the top. It was a very tough and impressively strong fungus. I actually held onto each end of it with my hands and dangled off the fungus, trying to pull at least some of it off the tree, but it wouldn't budge - even with all of my body weight hanging off of it! This fungus is a plant pathogen, which causes extensive white rot, making the wood useless as timber. It is one of the most harmful decaying agents of coniferous trees in this area. However, it is also an important forest disturbance agent because it plays a crucial role in the formation of habitat for numerous forest animals.