Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Along a key life-history determining axis, I identify two fundamentally different growth strategies of mycelium-forming fungi, explaining differences in sporulation, mycelial lifespan and nutrient stoichiometry. One extreme is fast, ‘pyramid-scheme’-like, growth: an exponentially increasing number of hyphae provides the mycelium with a constant and high supply of nutrients. However, space and resources quickly become limiting for exponential growth, necessitating dispersal via spores away from short-lived mycelia. The other extreme is slow, sustainable, growth with mostly linear hyphal expansion. However, linear growth provides insufficient influx of nutrients to supply the entire colony at a constant rate, predicting that generally only the colony edge can be sustained in long-lived fungi. The identified differences between exponential and linear growth strategies are associated with relatively high and low N and P fungal stoichiometry, respectively. Next to asexual sporulation, I also propose cord formation, seen in some fairy-ring fungi, as a mechanism for local dispersal that initiates bursts of exponential growth with its accompanying N-P-biased fungal stoichiometry.
Source: Fungal ecology
Author: Duur K. Aanen
Institution: Wageningen University & Research
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,500
OpenAlex ID: W7126103042