DIFFUSE COMPETITION FOR HETEROGENEOUS SUBSTRATE IN SOIL AMONG 6 SPECIES OF WOOD-DECOMPOSING BASIDIOMYCETES

Competition among six wood decay fungi was studied using 15x15 mm wood blocks placed in 250x250 mm plastic trays filled with unsterilized sa nd or clay. The wood blocks were preinoculated with Heterobasidion ann osum (Fr.) Bref., Resinicium bicolor (Alb. & Schw. ex Fr.) Farm., Phan erochaete sanguinea (Fr.) Hjortstam, Coniophora sp. DC. ex Me''rat, Ar millaria borealis Marxmuller and Korhonen and Hypholoma capnoides (Fr. ) Kummer before they were combined in all possible combinations in the trays. Two methods were used, one with all wood blocks inoculated, an d one with sterilized non-inoculated wood blocks distributed between t he inoculated ones. Wood blocks preinoculated with the six species wer e also used in a pairwise competition test. Following incubation for 9 months in darkness at 21 degrees C, mycelia were reisolated and ident ified. R. bicolor was most successful at invading through the soil and replacing other species in the wood blocks. P. sanguinea, Coniophora sp. and H. capnoides also had some success.