Researcher builds a field guide to the DMT ecosystem by mapping plants, toads, fungi, chemistry, and cultural knowledge across natural and synthetic sources

DMT ecology sits at the center of a research effort to map where psychedelic tryptamines come from, how they appear across species, and how human cultures have understood and used them. The project aims to build a field guide that connects chemistry, biology, taxonomy, and traditional knowledge rather than treating DMT as a single isolated drug. Natural sources include plants, fungi, and animals such as toads associated with 5-MeO-DMT, alongside questions about biosynthesis, distribution, and the difference between endogenous compounds and harvested materials. Synthetic production also matters because it shapes access, legality, and pressure on wild organisms. Ethnobotanical context gives the work broader importance. Indigenous and local knowledge, ecological protection, and careful classification all affect how people interpret DMT-containing organisms and related practices. A field-level map of the DMT ecosystem could support better research, conservation, and more informed public understanding of these substances.