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 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 ordinatio

SUBMITTER: Aguilar-Trigueros CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9723744 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature