Network traits predict ecological strategies in fungi

Abstract Colonization of terrestrial environments by filamentous fungi relies on their ability to form networks that can forage for and connect resource patches. Despite the importance of these networks, ecologists rarely consider network features as functional traits because their measurement and i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ISME Communications 2022-01, Vol.2 (1), p.2-2
Main Authors: Aguilar-Trigueros, C A, Boddy, L, Rillig, M C, Fricker, M D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Automation
Balances (scales)
Colonization
Connectivity
Construction costs
Ecologists
Ecology
Forage
Foraging behavior
Fractals
Fungi
Graph representations
Morphology
Mycelia
Networks
Ordination
Phenotypes
Robustness
Terrestrial environments
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Summary:Abstract Colonization of terrestrial environments by filamentous fungi relies on their ability to form networks that can forage for and connect resource patches. Despite the importance of these networks, ecologists rarely consider network features as functional traits because their measurement and interpretation are conceptually and methodologically difficult. To address these challenges, we have developed a pipeline to translate images of fungal mycelia, from both micro- and macro-scales, to weighted network graphs that capture ecologically relevant fungal behaviour. We focus on four properties that we hypothesize determine how fungi forage for resources, specifically: connectivity; relative construction cost; transport efficiency; and robustness against attack by fungivores. Constrained ordination and Pareto front analysis of these traits revealed that foraging strategies can be distinguished predominantly along a gradient of connectivity for micro- and macro-scale mycelial networks that is reminiscent of the qualitative ‘phalanx’ and ‘guerilla’ descriptors previously proposed in the literature. At one extreme are species with many inter-connections that increase the paths for multidirectional transport and robustness to damage, but with a high construction cost; at the other extreme are species with an opposite phenotype. Thus, we propose this approach represents a significant advance in quantifying ecological strategies for fungi using network information.
ISSN:2730-6151
2730-6151
DOI:10.1038/s43705-021-00085-1