The coprophilous fungus succession: a model system – abstract

Abstract

Coprophilous fungi form an easily recognised ecological group adapted to severe disturbance. They survive as spores on herbage and are ingested, chewed, subjected to digestion, exposed to competition within the gut, egested and then suffer further competition and environmental variation. Studying the ecology of fungi on rabbit dung has several advantages, both for research and teaching. These include ready availability, ease of replication, simple techniques for varying the environment and levels of competition, and the possibility of adding spores to sterilised food. This is illustrated by studies on three aspects of the ecology of coprophilous fungi.