Proportion of needles colonized by one fungal species in coniferous litter: the dispersal hypothesis

We try to explain the large differences observed in the proportion of needl es colonized by fungal species in coniferous litter by spore dispersal prop erties. We constructed a population dynamics model, assuming that litter is a resource that is fragmented into ephemeral units, periodically produced. Spore dispersion on needles on a small spatial scale was assumed to follow a Poisson distribution. The model was compared with an experimental system using Thysanophora penicillioides on Abies alba needles and its relevance to field conditions is discussed.