Applying allometric theory to fungi

Aguilar‐Trigueros, Carlos A.; Rillig, Matthias C.; Crowther, Thomas W.

doi:10.1038/ismej.2017.86

Cited by 15 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…These results contradict the hypothesis that dense colonies should achieve higher intrinsic wood decomposition rates (30) and instead support models assuming that decomposition is positively related to growth or extension rate (31). Indeed, previous efforts to apply allometric scaling theory to fungi suggest that colonies with a higher extension rate capture and consume resources more rapidly and efficiently (40,41). Our results provide strong empirical support for this hypothesis and suggest that hyphal extension rate could serve as an easily measurable proxy for the wood decay ability of fungi, as determined over a 4-to 5-mo period under standardized laboratory conditions.…”

Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 72%

A trait-based understanding of wood decomposition by fungi

Lustenhouwer

Maynard

Bradford

et al. 2020

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

140

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As the primary decomposers of organic material in terrestrial ecosystems, fungi are critical agents of the global carbon cycle. Yet our ability to link fungal community composition to ecosystem functioning is constrained by a limited understanding of the factors accounting for different wood decomposition rates among fungi. Here we examine which traits best explain fungal decomposition ability by combining detailed trait-based assays on 34 saprotrophic fungi from across North America in the laboratory with a 5-y field study comprising 1,582 fungi isolated from 74 decomposing logs. Fungal growth rate (hyphal extension rate) was the strongest single predictor of fungal-mediated wood decomposition rate under laboratory conditions, and accounted for up to 27% of the in situ variation in decomposition in the field. At the individual level, decomposition rate was negatively correlated with moisture niche width (an indicator of drought stress tolerance) and with the production of nutrient-mineralizing extracellular enzymes. Together, these results suggest that decomposition rates strongly align with a dominance-tolerance life-history trade-off that was previously identified in these isolates, forming a spectrum from slow-growing, stress-tolerant fungi that are poor decomposers to fast-growing, highly competitive fungi with fast decomposition rates. Our study illustrates how an understanding of fungal trait variation could improve our predictive ability of the early and midstages of wood decay, to which our findings are most applicable. By mapping our results onto the biogeographic distribution of the dominance-tolerance trade-off across North America, we approximate broad-scale patterns in intrinsic fungal-mediated wood decomposition rates.

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Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 72%

A trait-based understanding of wood decomposition by fungi

Lustenhouwer

Maynard

Bradford

et al. 2020

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

140

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The sources used likely failed to capture all heterogeneity in movements. While the use of allometric relationships to derive day range estimates is a scientifically valid method (Aguilar‐Trigueros, Rillig, & Crowther, ; Carbone et al, ; Keeping, ), our allometric movement estimates captured less variation compared to movement estimates based on empirical methods such as tracking or GPS collars. This is because a single mean estimate of day range for each species was used; thus, the allometric approach utilised inter‐species variation rather than within‐species variation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Using the Formozov–Malyshev–Pereleshin formula to convert mammal spoor counts into density estimates for long‐term community‐level monitoring

et al. 2019

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Finding an appropriate method to monitor a wide range of mammal species simultaneously is notoriously difficult, as each method has its limitations. Here, we examine a formula, known as the Formozov–Malyshev–Pereleshin (FMP), which uses mean daily travel distances (day ranges) to convert spoor counts into density estimates. Availability of accurate estimates of day ranges is a limitation of the FMP formula. Here, we used allometry to estimate day ranges for those species that lacked empirical movement data and general additive models (GAM) to assess trends in density estimates. With this approach, we derived density estimates for 10 mammal species, regardless of whether they were abundant, or rare and elusive (e.g. carnivores). General additive models suggest that six species are stable or increasing, and four declining, although all nonsignificantly. Use of allometric estimates in lieu of empirical estimates led to falsely increased precision in density estimates, highlighting the need to fill the knowledge gap in movement ecology for certain species. Simulations were used to examine error introduced into trend estimates by this bias. We conclude that the FMP formula, when properly employed, can be an efficient method for simultaneous monitoring of multispecies in different functional groups.

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“…Plant body size (Niklas, 1994) Fungal body size (Aguilar-Trigueros, Rillig, & Crowther, 2017) While difficult to measure, larger fungi will have denser tissues, slower growth rates and longer lifespans. Metabolic rates will scale with body size.…”

Section: Size-related Scalingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fungal functional ecology: bringing a trait‐based approach to plant‐associated fungi

et al. 2019

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Fungi play many essential roles in ecosystems. They facilitate plant access to nutrients and water, serve as decay agents that cycle carbon and nutrients through the soil, water and atmosphere, and are major regulators of macro‐organismal populations. Although technological advances are improving the detection and identification of fungi, there still exist key gaps in our ecological knowledge of this kingdom, especially related to function. Trait‐based approaches have been instrumental in strengthening our understanding of plant functional ecology and, as such, provide excellent models for deepening our understanding of fungal functional ecology in ways that complement insights gained from traditional and ‐omics‐based techniques. In this review, we synthesize current knowledge of fungal functional ecology, taxonomy and systematics and introduce a novel database of fungal functional traits (FunFun). FunFun is built to interface with other databases to explore and predict how fungal functional diversity varies by taxonomy, guild, and other evolutionary or ecological grouping variables. To highlight how a quantitative trait‐based approach can provide new insights, we describe multiple targeted examples and end by suggesting next steps in the rapidly growing field of fungal functional ecology.

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Applying allometric theory to fungi

Cited by 15 publications

References 19 publications

A trait-based understanding of wood decomposition by fungi

A trait-based understanding of wood decomposition by fungi

Using the Formozov–Malyshev–Pereleshin formula to convert mammal spoor counts into density estimates for long‐term community‐level monitoring

Fungal functional ecology: bringing a trait‐based approach to plant‐associated fungi

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