CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SPATIAL-ASPECTS OF FORAGING MYCELIAL CORD SYSTEMS USING FRACTAL GEOMETRY

The fractal geometry of foraging mycelial systems of Phanerochaete velutina and Hypholoma fasciculare, extending into soil from woody resource bases of varying nutrient status, was determined. The degree of structural heterogeneity and branching of systems, as described by the fractal dimension, was greater when the nutrient status of the resource base was high. H. fasciculare produced more-branched, slower-extending systems, with a greater commitment of mycelial biomass to exploration than P. velutina. The potential use of fractal geometry as a descriptor of foraging strategies of cord-forming, saprotrophic basidiomycetes, and the possible mechanisms operating to generate fractal growth in these systems are discussed.