Thirty-one species of fungi (representing 13 orders) were examined for their
ability to grow from a nutrient medium onto a non-nutrient medium; 17 were capable of
colonizing the deficient medium, 10 were not, and 4 were indeterminate. The ability
to grow onto deficient medium appeared to be related to the natural habitat of the fungus
rather than to taxonomic position.
Experiments with isotopically labelled nutrients showed that both colonizing
fungi and non-colonizing fungi were capable of some transport of nutrients, the difference
between the two groups being one of degree. In transporting fungi, labelled nutrients
were moved more rapidly when the fungus colonized a deficient medium than when
it colonized a nutrient medium; this suggested that movement of nutrients is adaptive
to some extent.
The importance of the growing hyphal apex as a sink for nutrients was
demonstrated.