' DG I am not certain that Armillaria fit in the decomposer suite, although I
understand they can live as saprophytes. Most of the trees I have seen
infected with Armillaria exhibit crown symptoms which indicates a loss of
"desirable" root function and often mycellia can be found below the bark
around the root collar. I cannot recall seeing a tree "recover" from
infection with Armillaria however I have seen other trees in the vicinity of
a declining Armillaria infected tree get colonised and also begin to decline.
'
Perhaps not the best example, but you are referring to the latter stages of
visible full blown symptoms of an Armillaria attack. Whose to say that this
'disease' moderates its mode of activity, unseen below ground level, to
function as suggested, as a process which naturally prunes out defunct roots.
It would be an interesting experiment to determine whether improving the soil
environment by increasing microbe activity and pathogen antagonists, possibly
applying sugars in appropriate dosage, beneath a healthy tree could prevent
it from being exposed to infection from a nearby tree suffering with honey
fungus. A. mellea must be able to exist without the need to kill trees as a
decomposer of woody debris, as a saprobe in woodchip, fallen branches or
leafy material for example. Could we add defunct roots to this list? A fungus
would rather take the easily accessible option than to expend energy/enzymes
having to destroy a living host and all its defences. I've noticed that trees
growing within tidy areas void of lying deadwood/leafy debris that are often
prone to infection by this disease.
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