Ecological study of fungi in the tidal mud-flats of Kuwait

In the present study, fungal flora of the uncolonized mud flats of Kuwait is investigated. Known isolation techniques, based on different concepts, are used in a trial to distinguish between species present in the active vegetative phase and others existing in the dormant spore phase.According to the frequency of isolation, the fungi reported are classified into four groups showing different existence patterns. Group A fungi; comprised species that most probably occur in the active vegetative phase. Species assigned to this group are: Fusarium oxysporum, Acremonium strictum, Penicillium frequentans A. terricola, Mucor cricinelloides, Rhizopus arrhizus, Stachybotrys atra and Trichoderma koningii. Fungi of group B occur partly in the active vegetative phase and partly in the dormant spore phase whilst members of groups C & D most likely exist only in the spore phase. Reasons for these trends are suggested.