Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: Stephen Tetreault on 26/07/2008 15:10:28

Title: How random is wind disperal of fungal spores?
Post by: Stephen Tetreault on 26/07/2008 15:10:28

Stephen Tetreault asked the Naked Scientists:

Hello, Stephen here from Providence, Rhode Island in the United States.

I am a college student majoring in computer science with an interest in
bioinformatics. In the coming fall term I am supposed to be doing research with a professor on the topic of random walks and the spatial distribution of organisms.

I was curious if you know of any sort of information relevant to the dispersal of spores from various fungi, because I do know the spores rely on wind for dispersal, but was curious just how random the dispersal may be.

Cheers!

What do you think?

Title: How random is wind disperal of fungal spores?
Post by: blakestyger on 26/07/2008 21:49:48

What's the betting that spore dispersal is another stochastic process  - nondeterministic and only analyzable statistically.

Title: How random is wind disperal of fungal spores?
Post by: RD on 27/07/2008 01:15:06

Not so random fungi ...

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http://www.hainaultforest.co.uk/3Fungi%20photographs.htm


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_ring

Title: How random is wind disperal of fungal spores?
Post by: blakestyger on 27/07/2008 09:01:06

But were they the result of spore dispersal? I'm not very familiar with these things but I believe that the rings result from the underground network of hyphae they have.