At a eutrophic site, aero-aquatic fungi colonized freshly abscissed beech leaves in preference to decaying leaves. At a oligotrophic site Helicodendron triglitziense and Papulospora sp. preferentially colonized freshly abscissed leaves whilst two other species showed no significant preference for either substrate. In a similar experiment H. fractum (a species from needles and cones in oligotrophic habitats), colonized leached pine needles in preference to beech leaves at the oligotrophic site but did not colonize beech leaves or needles at the eutrophic site. In a laboratory experiment H. triglitziense and H. giganteum colonized sterilized and unsterilized freshly abscissed beech leaves, and sterilized decaying leaves, in preference to unsterilized decaying leaves.