Competition constrains the resistance and recovery of fungi to heat stress under low nutrient concentration

Our study shows that competition between certain pairs of saprotrophic fungi can shift the resistance and recovery of their radial growth rates to heat stress. More specifically, our results revealed that competitive interaction between <i>M. elata</i> (the fungus with a higher radial growth rate) and <i>T. atroviride</i> (the fungus with a lower radial growth rate) decreased the recovery of the fast one (<i>M. elata</i>) and the resistance of the slow one (<i>T. atroviride</i>) in low nutrient conditions. Our result highlights that competition between saprotrophic fungi with differing growth rates may reduce fungal stability under heat extremes, particularly in low nutrient conditions.