Among the other maceral categories, funginite can also be classified under huminite and/or vitrinite. Funginite, along with other macerals that fall in the same family such as cutinite and sporinite, according to one study, exhibits an average reflectance value of 0.81%, with a standard deviation of 0.05. The physical characteristics of the "fungal bodies" not only fluctuate and vary, but also determine the constitution of the spores by causing them to be identified as either single celled or multi-celled by nature. This was done alongside resinite, and the four coal samples had several trials conducted. The results indicated that funginite was "nonfluorescent and [presented] the highest reflectance value", based on a study conducted by the ICCP. Funginite is primarily found in coal due to the nature of its creation process, which involves a fungal spore or body contaminating resin within trees, and undergoing the heat and pressure process of transformation into coal and other carbon rich substances, which is best summarized as when a "fungus enters a wound in the tree or in the process of rotting the wood or bark can be encapsulated through the release of a resin.", which is known as the process of cicatrization. Other methods of fungi being incorporated into resin for the potential formation of funginite may also involve insects or other similar organisms that are carrying the fungal matter to be trapped or even purposefully store said material into the resin, unlike the third main possible method that is a result of the aforementioned fungi in question utilizing the resin as sustenance Funginite's development, and more broadly inertinite in general, occurs in forests due to the nature of its properties and characteristics. According to Mastalerz et al. 2011, of the primary groups of macerals, inertinites with a high level of fluorescence and reflectance have these particular traits attributed to the temperature of the fires in which they are formed under, as simply put, their "reflectance is directly related to the fire temperature". Furthermore, given the nature of macerals in general, and how they are based on formerly living organisms, this generally results in higher concentrations of funginite being found in such locations when coal and charcoal are inspected closely at these sites. Funginite is based on fungal spores, and the density of fungal material being present in forests is considered abundantly higher than in other common locations for inertinites. The research undertaken into funginite, as well as other similar inertinites, may provide clues into understanding the events of instances regarding natural spontaneous combustion, due to the necessary requirements for that event to occur.