GATLINBURG, Tenn. - Karen Hughes, on her knees with her face just about touching the ground, is observing a tiny orange fungus about the size of a pinhead.
"These are unique in that they come up only after fires," said Hughes, a University of Tennessee professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. "You don't see them any other time. Part of the reason is that, during normal conditions, they don't compete well with other fungi for food or space, but after a fire they have an opportunity and they will cover the ground like an orange blanket."
Many scientists are also trying to seize an opportunity.
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