ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TILE SYMBIOSIS OF TER ITOMYCES ...

Other Mneral Elements
Decomposer fungi and insects require high levels of phosphorus
an well an nitrogen
(Swift 1W7)j The lower concentrations occurring
Inwood way be a factor contributing to Its slow rate of decay* As
in the case with nitrogen the mycotetes c(mtaln far, greater amounts
of phosphorus and, potassium than -wood or fungus comb and therefore
provide a good source for young termitese It Is generally accepted
that potassium and-phosphorus are both essential for callulolytic
activity
Wu 1951). Potassium In successively removed from the food
an it passes thrcm9h the foodstore and fungus comb systems and 1.9
concentrated in the fungal tissue. Phosphorus In also present In the
pseudorhiza and basidiocarp3 in greater amounts than In food or fungus
comb*
If : funuL require calcium It in only as a trace element, and In
the Z010d to funO" c0mb Passa0e the Percentage o: r calcium gradually
Increases as it In not beino utilized by the funguls, Calcium also tends
361*
to accumulate In vmmda and the ftngus combs due to evaporation* It 10
a puzzlina fAct that Calcium In not -concentrate4f
In the swcotetes
7.6a and 7.6.2)4, This-In In contrast to other elementso and to results
with other'ýfungL (swift
et'al- 1979)e There in usually extensive
concentration of calcium in Basidlocyceto mycellum
and rhizmorphs, but not In basidlocarpse
(Cromack
- kUnol also have, a relatively largerequirement for magnesium.
(Tables
et al 1975)9
The principal essential-' function of this In the activation of e=ymen
necessary to UOMal metabolism and growth* Magnesium Is not concentrated
here In either mycot0tes or fruit bodies* Thin In in agreement with the
results of Cromack, Todd and Mon1c (1975) who found It was not concentrated
In either fungal vegetative or reproductive structures.