Mushroom, Forest, and Human: The Politics of Multi-species Interdependence

Abstract

This research investigates the symbiotic ecological relationships between Astraeus hygrometricus, or locally known as "hed thob", dipterocarp forest ecosystems, and forest-dwelling communities in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. The study examines how these interspecies dependencies have intensified significantly over the previous decade, coinciding with the mushroom's emergence as a coveted commodity among urban middle-class consumers. The analysis demonstrates that hed thob harvesting practices, rather than representing traditional cultural heritage, have gained prominence within contemporary capitalist frameworks—particularly as marginalized peri-urban communities increasingly rely on forest resources following the systemic failures of agricultural sectors to provide sustainable livelihoods. The commodification process of hed thob correlates directly with the accelerated urbanization of tourism-centric municipalities such as Chiang Mai, alongside revolutionary developments in physical infrastructure and telecommunications that facilitate novel market connections between metropolitan middle-class consumers and agrarian communities, thereby transforming the wild mushroom into a commercial asset. However, the biological resistance of hed thob to artificial cultivation has prevented its monopolization by capital interests, thereby preserving a socioeconomic exchange sphere in which forest communities maintain relative autonomy and negotiating capacity. Nevertheless, this tripartite relationship between communities, mycological resources, and dipterocarp ecosystems encounters significant contestation from state authorities and middle-class constituencies, who have predominantly framed forest-dwelling communities as primary contributors to regional forest fire incidents and the consequent air pollution affecting urban centers over the past decade.