I don't think that rhizomorphs are necessarily negatively geotropic and if
the host medium is "attractive" they'll exploit it.
Sapwood is soft and has a higher carbohydrate content, and decay organisms
benefit from it and rhizomorphs can prevail for many years.
Isn't there a honey fungus in the States somewhere that covers a few square
miles? (Must look it up sometime)
Jim
-----Original Message-----
From: uktc-request@xxxxxx.tree-care.info
[mailto:uktc-request@xxxxxx.tree-care.info] On Behalf Of Rupert Baker
Sent: 18 November 2020 22:22
To: UK Tree Care
Subject: Rhizomorphs do not show intelligence..........
Found 10m up a (very recently fallen) dead oak tree had been dead for years;
upper branches with undecayed heartwood, and balsa-wood strength (or weaker)
decayed sapwood - dead upper canopy branches, under the bark, intricately
laced with Armillaria rhizomorphs; tree had only been about 15m tall, max. I
suppose they just follow gradients of humidity and moisture/chemical signals
from plants, and I know that there is a whole range of strategies from
full-on pathogen to saprophyte; but I do wonder what is the evolutionary
advantage of climbing a tree whose sapwood would probably already have been
colonised by the same clone of the fungus..
Atb
Rupert
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