ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TILE SYMBIOSIS OF TER ITOMYCES ...

temperature In tile rAiny season rwy, help Initiate frultbody development*
Wn would cool diffuse nests In the soil more than Mounds.
(d) Abandonment by the termites may also cause a fall In the
carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere* In Anariclin and other higher
fungi carbon dioxide concentrations above a certain level stimulate
mycelial gtvwth and prevent formation of primordine In general there
Is a higher oxy0en requirement for fruiting than for mycelial growth*
Light is unlikely to be an important factor in this case* Other factoraq
both physical and chemical, are likely to be associated with the presence
of ternites on the comb and may affect the production of fruitbodies,
(4) Germination of basidiosporen
The basidiospores of a great many species are hard to germinate
and there are still a large number, particularly In such genera an
Russula and Lnctarliv, 419 where conditions for any gemination have not
been realized In the laboratory (Ingold 1979).
Although morphologically normal and apparently fully developedg
spores often do not Derainate until after a period of timog which may
be regarded as maturation if ah*rt, or dormancy It weeks or months
(Cochranes 1958)o There are two categories of dormancyt
308.
(a) exogenous, related to the Influence of the extemal environmente
Tho spores may need specific conditions of moisture, temperaturet pill
oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrationss and nutrients In order to
germinate. Complex biological materials Improve germination In many
species and many funoig especially mycorrhimal fungi, require the
presence of a stimulatory factor or factors for Germination.
TemitaDrces is only found growing on fungus comb and it may need a
combination of the factors there to break dormancyl vh1ch may includo
substances provided by the termites*