Fungal communities in soil beneath Scots pine and their stumps. Effect of fungi on Heterobasidion annosum and Armillaria ostoyae growth
The soil beneath 30-year-old Scots pines, was inhabited by fungi communities which were at least iwicc as big as communities from ihe 49-year-old stand. The fungi communities in soil beneath the stumps were much smaller compared to those beneath the live trees and more abundant in the 30- than in the 49--year-old stand. The fungal communities in soil beneath the 30-year-old pines have bigger antagonistic effect on <i>Heterobasidion annosum</i> and <i>Armillaria ostoyae</i> than those beneath the 49-year-old stand. The decrease in density of fungi and in the frequency of species antagonistic to <i>H. annosum</i> and </i>A. ostoyae</i> resulted in the decrease of the antagonistic effect on both pathogens in soil beneath pine stumps.