On the ecology of fungal consortia of spring sap-flows

Abstract

Spring sap-flow, i.e. xylem sap exuding through wounds of deciduous trees in spring, quickly becomes colonised by yeasts and filamentous fungi, of which several species occur regularly in consortia from different trees or regions. This article considers the survival, spread and population dynamics of these fungi, with particular emphasis on the substantial research by Wladyslav I. Golubev on birch sap-flows in Russia. Most fungi survive in the soil or epiphytically on tree trunks, and dispersal between trees is probably mediated by insects. Competition within and between sap-flow yeast species may be due to nutritional effects or the action of killer toxins (mycocins).