EARLY INTERACTIONS OF HETEROBASIDION-ANNOSUM AND STEREUM-SANGUINOLENTUM WITH NON-DECAY FUNGI AND BACTERIA FOLLOWING INOCULATION INTO STEMS OF PICEA-ABIES

Different combinations of two decay fungi (Heterobasidion annosum, Ste reum and sanguinolentum), two non-decay fungi (Nectria fuckeliana, Asc ocoryne cylichnium), a yeast-like fungus and two bacteria (Bacillus pu milus, Enterobacter agglomerans) all of spruce origin, were inoculated into stems of 16 healthy-looking Picea abies. Growth and survival of the microbes were followed over the subsequent five years. The rapid u pward vertical spread of the decay fungi during the first two years wa s followed by a later regression and loss of these decay fungi by the fifth year. The stems were effectively colonized by the bacteria, A cy lichnuim and/or Neobulgaria premnophila which then persisted over the whole experimental period. The endophytic fungi, N. premnophila and A. cylichnuim, were abundant in the stems of the experimental trees befo re inoculation.