An ecological study of the soil fungi of some British sand dunes

Abstract

The distribution of soil microfungi in the successive ecological zones of eight dune systems on the British coast was investigated with special reference to the acid system at Studland and the alkaline system at Sandwich. A number of direct and indirect fungal isolation methods were used and a new modification of the soil impression technique was developed for a comparative estimate of the amount of mycelium in dune soils. Qualitative and quantitative changes in the fungal population were studied in relation to the soil type, the soil profile and the vegetation. A succession of species was found to occur across the dune systems from the pioneer communities of the foreshore to the climax or sub-climax communities of the fixed dunes. The existence of distinct mycofloras in the acid and alkaline soils and the development of a microfungal profile were also demonstrated. The root surface fungal floras of Ammophila arenaria and Carex arenaria were examined at various stages of the dune succession and found to vary with soil type, reflecting the succession of "free" soil fungi. The dune soil fungal flora appeared from this investigation to be an active and relatively rich community, exhibiting an ecological succession and species associations on a scale comparable with that of the higher plants.