FDA‐active fungal mycelium and lignin concentrations in some needle and leaf litter types

The concentration of live fungal biomass (FDA mycelium) was investigated in seven chemically very different litter types, i.e. grey alder leaves, green and brown leaves of white birch, green and brown needles of both Scots pine and lodgepole pine. Concentration of FDA mycelium in the litters changed with the season, being low during the dry late summer and relatively higher during the more rainy, wet autumn. During autumns, when moisture was not limiting, lignin concentration and live fungal biomass were negatively related. It was concluded that the concentration of live fungal biomass in litter decreased linearly as the lignin concentration increased and thus also decreased linearly to decomposition level of the litter.