Abstract
ALTHOUGH most fungi are regarded as strictly aerobic organisms, some species—under natural conditions—are known to colonize in localities which a priori must be expected to offer only poor supplies of free oxygen. This is the case with fungi attacking the interior of roots and stems of living trees. Owing to respiration in the living tissues of these organs, free oxygen dissolved in the water of vessels in sapwood and heartwood or present as free gas in intercellular spaces and non-functioning vessels is soon consumed. Concomitantly carbon dioxide is liberated. Diffusion of gases within a tree trunk probably occurs by the shortest distance, namely, by horizontal diffusion from the outside through the cortex into the interior of the stem and vice versa. However, in warm seasons when respiration-rate is high the very active cambium enclosing the central wood of a stem offers a barrier to the diffusion of gases in either direction1. Consequently as oxygen is consumed by living cells (medullary ray cells, parenchyma cells) in the sapwood the oxygen pressure will drop rapidly in the interior and be kept at a low level until diffusion is again made possible by a decrease in temperature.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Goodwin, R. H., and Goddard, D. R., Amer. J. Bot., 27, 234 (1940).
Chase, W. W., Minnesota Agric. Exp. Sta. Tech. Bull., 99 (1934).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
GUNDERSEN, K. Growth of Fomes annosus under Reduced Oxygen Pressure and the Effect of Carbon Dioxide. Nature 190, 649 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1038/190649a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/190649a0
This article is cited by
-
Defense Mechanisms in the Sapwood of Living Trees against Microbial Infection
Journal of Forest Research (2001)
-
The effect of volatile and gaseous metabolites of swelling seeds on germination of fungal spores
Folia Microbiologica (1975)
-
Influence of CO2 concentration on the mycelium growth of three pleurotus species
European Journal of Applied Microbiology (1975)
-
The effects of gaseous environments on the growth and metabolism of fungi
The Botanical Review (1968)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.