Nutrient and carbon dioxide release by interacting species of straw-decomposing fungi

Abstract

Pairs of fungi were incubated on wheat straw in microcosms for 10 weeks. Release of Na+, K+ and NH4+-N was similar from all combinations, but Ca2+, Mg2+ and PO43--P release depended on the species. In Agrocybe gibberosa/Chaetomium globosum and Sphaerobolus stellatus/Chaetomium globosum combinations, there was evidence of interactions which suppressed the predicted rate of phosphate release, and in all the mixed species combinations there were interactions which increased the rate of fungal respiration above that of the more combative fungus in pure culture. ei]{gnR}{fnMerckx}