REPEATED DAMAGE RESULTS IN POLARIZED DEVELOPMENT OF FORAGING MYCELIALSYSTEMS OF PHANEROCHAETE VELUTINA

Mycelial cord systems of Phanerochaete velutina growing from wood inoc ula across non-sterile soil were subjected to disturbance by repeated (6-9-day intervals) complete severance and removal of cords emerging f rom three, four or zero (control) vertical sides of the inoculum. Regr owth occurred after removal from four sides, though morphology, quanti fied by fractal dimension (D-BM). did not differ from controls. After removal from three sides, mycelial regrowth occurred and the D-BM valu es of both intact and regrown parts of the mycelium were initially the same. Following subsequent removal, limited regrowth occurred, i.e. s ystems became polarised towards the intact mycelium. The proportion of regrowth from three disturbed sides altered, mycelial area fell from 72% to 30-50% of regrowth from inocula disturbed at all four sides. Th e reduced regrowth also had lower D(BM)s than the intact mycelium deve loping from the undisturbed side of the inoculum. Mycelial extension r ate of all regrowth from severed sides was slower than undisturbed myc elium. Decay of inocula was greater, though not significantly, where e xtra-resource mycelium was most extensive. (C) 1998 Published by Elsev ier Science B.V. All rights reserved.