Environmental fluctuations facilitate species co-existence and increase decomposition in communities of wood decay fungi.

A fluctuating environment may facilitate co-existence of species, and high species richness may be important for maintaining ecosystem processes under changing environmental conditions. A positive relationship has been found between species richness and primary production in many experiments, and there is now an increasing interest whether similar relationships also apply to microorganisms and decomposition. Basidiomycete fungi are the primary decomposers of wood with the functional groups brown and white rot fungi, which differ with respect to decay strategy.

Diffuse competition for heterogeneous substrate in soil among six species of wood-decomposing basidiomycetes.

Competition among six wood decay fungi was studied using 15×15 mm wood blocks placed in 250×250 mm plastic trays filled with unsterilized sand or clay. The wood blocks were preinoculated with Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) Bref.

Population structure and mating system in Marasmius androsaceus Fr.

Isolates of the rhizomorph-forming fungus Marasmius androsaceus were obtained from four different sites in stands of either Norway spruce or Scots pine of different age. The mating system and the mycelial interactions within each site were studied. The fungus had a bifactorial mating system and genetically different dikaryons were strongly mutually antagonistic in culture.