Intraspecific interactions among wood-decay fungi alter decay rates and dynamics of interspecific interactions

Interactions among wood-decay fungi can have a profound effect on fungal community composition, decay rates and ultimately the chemical composition of the material remaining after the decay process. Interspecific interactions among fungi as they decay wood have been well-studied but almost nothing is known about the effect of intraspecific interactions between individual genets on the decay process. In this study we examine the effect of both intra- and interspecific competition on wood mass-loss for five species of wood-decay fungi: Cerrena unicolor, Fuscoporia gilva, Irpex lacteus, Stereum ostrea and Trametes versicolor. Four of the five species studied showed a significant increase in mass loss when five individual isolates (genets) of the same species simultaneously colonized aspen test wafers in vitro. The dynamics of interspecific interactions were also significantly impacted by the presence of multiple genets of each species. Taken together, these results demonstrate that intraspecific interactions can change the outcome of interspecific interactions and thus the functioning of the overall community.