FUNGI OF THE WINDMILL ISLANDS, CONTINENTAL ANTARCTICA - EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE, PH AND CULTURE MEDIA ON THE GROWTH OF SELECTED MICROFUNGI

Studies were conducted on microfungi isolated from soils in the Windmi ll Islands, continental Antarctica. Growth responses of Alternaria alt ernata, Chrysosporium pannorum, Nectria peziza, Thelebolus microsporus , Mycelia sterile and Phoma cf. herbarum to temperature. pH and cultur e media were investigated, Maximum growth occurred after 16 days, exce pt in Nectria peziza and Thelebolus microsporus, where maximum growth occurred 12 days after inoculation. All isolates showed poor growth at 0 degrees C. Maximum growth was obtained with temperatures ranging fr om 15 to 25 degrees C. The optimum temperature for all fungi was 20 de grees C. An acid medium favoured growth. Chrysosporium pannorum. Phoma cf. herbarum and Nectria peziza grew best at pH 3-4, whereas Mycelia sterile, Alternaria alternata and Thelebolus microsporus grew best at pH 5-6. The culture medium had little effect on growth, except for nut rient agar, which showed poor growth against all isolates with the exc eption of Thelebolus microsporus.