The survival of anaerobic fungi in cattle faeces

The survival of anaerobic fungi in cattle faeces was studied under a range of environmental conditions, in the laboratory, in cowpats, in slurry and i n manure. Numbers of anaerobic fungi were enumerated as thallus-forming uni ts with time after defacation and/or storage using the most probable number s technique. Survival of anaerobic fungi was observed at a wide range of te mperatures and moisture regimes but was relatively poor under certain condi tions, notably in manure and in cowpats during the summer period. The resul ts are discussed in relation to the survival of anaerobic fungi in their na tural environment and the possible interactions with other micro-organisms present in ruminant faeces. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.