Modelling combat strategies in fungal mycelia

Journal of Theoretical Biology
Graeme P Boswell

Abstract

Fungal mycelia have a well-established role in nutrient cycling and are widely used as agents in biological control and in the remediation of polluted landscapes. Competition and combat between different fungal communities is common in these contexts and its outcome impacts on local biodiversity and the success of such biotechnological applications. In this investigation a mathematical model representing mycelia as a system of partial differential equations is used to simulate combat between two fungal colonies growing into a nutrient-free domain. The resultant equations are integrated numerically and the model simulates well-established outcomes of combat between fungal communities. The outcome of pairwise combat is shown to depend on numerous factors including the suppression of advancing hyphae in rivals, the degradation of a rival's established biomass and the utilization and redistribution of available nutrient resources. It is demonstrated how non-transitive hierarchies in fungal communities can be established through switching mechanisms, mirroring observations reported in experimental studies, and how specialized defensive structures can emerge through changes in the redistribution of internal resources.

References

Mar 1, 1979·Journal of General Microbiology·J I Prosser, A P Trinci
Apr 3, 2001·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·M K Watters, A J Griffiths
May 17, 2003·Bulletin of Mathematical Biology·Graeme P BoswellKarl Ritz
Jul 29, 2005·Environmental Science & Technology·Stefanie KohlmeierLukas Y Wick
Aug 10, 2005·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Ruth E FalconerJohn W Crawford
Aug 12, 2008·Mycological Research·Graeme P Boswell
Jun 12, 2010·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Luke L M HeatonNick S Jones

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Citations

Jan 15, 2015·Journal of Environmental Science and Health. Part. B, Pesticides, Food Contaminants, and Agricultural Wastes·Alejandro Islas-GarcíaRefugio Rodríguez-Vázquez
Sep 15, 2015·Fungal Genetics and Biology : FG & B·G Vidal-Diez de UlzurrunB De Baets

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