Fungi associated with cellulose decomposition in the tidal mud-flats of Kuwait

✍ Scribed by A. F. Moustafa; M. S. Sharkas

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands
• Year: 1982
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 458 KB
• Volume: 78
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0301-486X
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00466074

✦ Synopsis

Fungi potentially able to decompose cellulose, in the tidal mud-flats of Kuwait, have been investigated. More than 58 species were isolated and their cellulytic ability were tested. Many of the species recorded are well known cellulose decomposers, while for many others the strong cellulytic activity is a new record e.g. A rachniotus dankaliensis, Lasiobolidiurn orbiculoides, Corynascus sepedoniurn, and Pesoturn sp. Comparison of the frequency of occurrence and cellulytic ability, in all species reported, revealed that there is no coincidence between the two parameters. The high frequency of any fungus does not imply that this fungus is an active cellulose decomposer in the soil and similarly low frequency fungi are not necessarily weak decomposers. It is likely possible, that the competitive saprophytic ability of the fungus which determine its role in the process of cellulose decomposition in the soil rather than its cellulytic ability in pure culture.