ABSTRACT
Fungi are an important food resource in soil. Fungal tissue is composed of chitin, about 14% N, and reproductive structures such as sclerotia and sporocarps containing high P concentrations. Fungal biomass may constitute as much as 10% of soil and litter (Dighton, 2003). Fungal structures include hyphae, spores, mycelial cords, ectomycorrhizal root tips, and sclerotia. Hyphae are differentiated into runner hyphae, absorptive hyphal networks, and hyphal bridges (Friese and Allen, 1991). All these structures can be used by the soil fauna as food resources. The way they are spread throughout the soil, for example, diffusely or in patches, affects feeding strategies of the fungivore fauna (Bengtsson et al., 1993).
