The early fungus gets… the CHUNGUS?!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Fungi play a key role in forests. They decompose dead wood and release carbon back into the environment.
But does fungi have to … compete for a meal?
Researchers led by Tadashi Fukami of Stanford University tested whether arrival order changes decomposition.
They placed fungal species onto wood blocks in different sequences. For a year, they tracked fungal growth, decomposition, and carbon release.
Results? The first fungi to arrive often took over the wood, changing later growth! In some cases, early arrivals made wood decompose up to THREE times faster!
You might not think of fungi as fast movers. But if they’re not first, they’re last!
Reference: Fukami, T., Dickie, I.A., Paula Wilkie, J., Paulus, B.C., Park, D., Roberts, A., Buchanan, P.K. and Allen, R.B. (2010), Assembly history dictates ecosystem functioning: evidence from wood decomposer communities. Ecology Letters, 13: 675-684. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01465.x