Interspecific combative interactions between wood-decaying basidiomycetes

Competition is the most common type of interaction occurring between wood-d ecaying higher fungi. Since competition for nutrients in organic resources is effectively brought about by competition for space, the common division into interference and exploitation competition is not very appropriate. Fun gal competition can be divided into primary resource capture (obtaining unc olonized resources) and secondary resource capture (combat to obtain resour ces already colonized by other fungi). Combative mechanisms include antagon ism at a distance, hyphal interference, mycoparasitism and gross mycelial c ontact. Interactions can result in deadlock or replacement, and a hierarchy of combative ability can be discerned amongst fungi that inhabit particula r resources, but within this hierarchy there exists intransitivity, modific ation of outcome by other species and abiotic variables. Interactions can d ramatically alter mycelial function, and have potential as biological contr ol agents of fungal pathogens of trees and in service timber. (C) 2000 Fede ration of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.