Soil Mould Fungi Isolated From Recently Glaciated Soils in South-Eastern Alaska

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Abstract
As the natural vascular plant communities mature and as the nitrogen content of the soil increases the populations of mold fungi increase in numbers of species and individuals. As the litter materials increase, the nitrogen fraction is used by a larger number of organisms in the presence of greater carbon supplies in the litter. As more coniferous litter becomes available, materials which decompose slowly or poorly, if at all, are added to the forest floor, and organisms such as the mushroom-type fungi, which may be able to use these newer chemicals, such as humic acids and numerous types of lignin-containing compounds, become competitive. Under these conditions, the numbers of colonies of soil mold fungi decrease and some species may drop out while others may be added to the populations. The soil mold populations in the 2 areas studied are fairly homogeneous. With the techniques used, no special trend is shown for dominance of a particular horizon by a special fungus. Certain species appeared only in pioneer communities, others in intermediate stages, and still others in mature conifer forests. Some species were found only at Glacier Bay, others in the Mendenhall Glacier area, some in materials on the forest floor, and others in the mineral soil.

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