Fungi have traits called "adaptations" that allow them to survive under specific conditions. In Norway, the soils are wet and mossy. The forest floor is often covered with fallen leaves or pine needles. Chanterelle thrives in these wet and woody conditions because it has adaptations to survive in wet soil.
Fungi like chanterelle survive by recycling dead plant and animal matter. Entire forests would be buried by a layer of dead leaves if we didn't have the help of fungi to break it down! Some fungi have an underground network of root-like fibers called the mycelium. The mycelium network acts like a highway system to transport food or chemical signals between organisms. Not only fungi can use the highways -- they can even help plants like trees communicate with each other. Many people believe that plants and fungi are the same. But fungi are neither plants nor animals! They are in a kingdom of their own, and they are actually more similar to animals than plants!
Common threats to chanterelle and other fungi are deforestation, pollution and changes in the way humans use the land. However, the magical thing about fungi is that it is very resilient. It can quickly adapt to changes in the environment. Some mycologists -- experts who study fungi -- say that it might even be one of the keys to solving climate change. Like plants, fungi "inhale" carbon dioxide, making our atmosphere cleaner. There are even some types of mushrooms that can quickly break down plastic!
