Experimental Analysis of Interactions Among Saprotrophic Fungi from A Phosphorous-Poor Desert Oasis in the Chihuahuan Desert

Figures & data

Table 1. Information of the analyzed fungi isolated from a water sample collected in an oligotrophic desert oasis (N 26° 50′ 55.2′′, W 102° 08′ 34.8′′).

Accession number	Fungi	Nomenclature	Strain name	Isolation media
KY548384	Coprinellus micaceus	CO	Cu	PDA
KY548383	Cladosporium sp.	CL	Ta	PDA
KY548382	Aspergillus niger	AS	Pu	CMA

Figure 1. Fungal growth in test plates (co-cultures) and controls (mono-cultures) on three different culture media, x-axis represents days and y-axis signifies fungal radial growth (cm²). Controls (A, B, and C) and test plates on: PDA (D–F), CP (G–I), and MM (J–L); where D, G, and J show A. niger in co-culture; E, H, and K show Cladosporium sp. in co-culture; F, I, and L show C. micaceus in co-culture.

Figure 2. Culture characteristics during intra- and interspecific microfungal pairwise interactions on different culture media: PDA, CP, and MM. Controls: Aspergillus niger (1, 10, 19), Coprinellus micaceus (2, 11, 20), Cladosporium sp. (3, 12, 21). Interactions: A. niger vs A. niger (4, 13, 22), C. micaceus vs. C. micaceus (5, 14, 23), Cladosporium sp. vs. Cladosporium sp. (6, 15, 24), A. niger vs. Cladosporium sp. (7, 16, 25), A. niger vs. C. micaceus (8, 17, 26), C. micaceus vs Cladosporium sp. (9, 18, 27). Front (a) and back (b) of the petri dish.

Table 2. Overall antagonism index for each fungal species on the three tested culture media: carbohydrates-rich potato dextrose agar medium (PDA), carbohydrates and amino peptides-rich medium (CP), low-nutrient marine agar medium (MM).

Fungi	Culture media	OAI
Cladosporium sp.	PDA	17.83
	CP	36.26
	MM	106.25
Aspergillus niger	PDA	107.37
	CP	103.95
	MM	126.00
Coprinellus micaceus	PDA	168.73
	CP	167.17
	MM	249.14

Table 3. Fungal percentage of inhibition index (PII) on the three tested culture media: carbohydrates-rich potato dextrose agar medium (PDA), carbohydrates and amino peptides-rich medium (CP), low-nutrient marine agar medium (MM). Values are presented in the same order as the interacting organisms.

Fungi	Culture Media	PII
Cladosporium sp. vs. Aspergillus niger	PDA	57.84	8.43
	CP	20.17	14.98
	MM	31.18	15.61
Aspergillus niger vs. Aspergillus niger	PDA	41.75	40.86
	CP	40.00	41.23
	MM	73.12	57.86
Aspergillus niger vs. Coprinellus micaceus	PDA	16.34	77.20
	CP	6.74	75.09
	MM^a	73.12	57.86
Coprinellus micaceus vs. Coprinellus micaceus	PDA	28.90	30.59
	CP	27.19	41.27
	MM	65.69	66.16
Cladosporium sp. vs. Cladosporium sp.	PDA	−22.00	25.79
	CP	5.50	8.99
	MM	24.84	25.69
Cladosporium sp. vs. Coprinellus micaceus	PDA	7.77	32.03
	CP	1.61	23.63
	MM^a	24.54	59.43

^a These treatments lack replicates.

Figure 3. Schematic representation of fungal interactions in co-culture on PDA (A), CP (B), and MM (C), where Aspergillus niger is represented as AS, Cladosporium sp. as CL, and Coprinellus micaceus as CO. Red lines indicate antagonism, black lines neutral interactions, and green lines synergistic interactions. Line width is proportional to the intensity of interactions.