Fire as an Environmental Cue Initiating Ascomycete Development in a Tallgrass Prairie

SUMMARY

Laboratory incubation of soil samples from burned prairie stands demonstrated the presence of both coprophilous and carbonicolous ascomycetes. These fungi did not appear on soils collected from unburned prairie stands or from spring-burned stands that were sampled in July. Evidence is presented which suggests that prairie fires bring about a reduction in microbial competition at the soil surface, thereby permitting the successful development of these post-fire fungal colonists. Several of the coprophilous ascomycetes appearing on burned soil were also found on deer and rabbit feces collected from unburned prairie stands. It is suggested that grassland fires provide an additional mechanism by which the coprophilous forms can complete their life cycle. Furthermore, these fires may provide the principle means of initiating growth and development of several noncoprophilous ascomycetes.