An agent-based model of the Foraging Ascomycete Hypothesis

Plant-fungal interactions are of paramount importance. Building useful ecological models of plant-fungal interactions is challenging, due to the complexity of habitat, varying definitions of biological basic units of interest, various spatial scales of dispersal, and non-linear, emergent properties of plant-fungal systems. Here we show that the bottom-up approach of agent-based models is useful for exploring the ecology of fungi. We constructed an agent-based model of the Foraging Ascomycete hypothesis, which proposes that some fungi maintain an endophytic life stage to enhance dispersal and bridge gaps in substrate in space and time. We characterized the general conditions in which dispersal through leaves may be worth the metabolic and fitness costs of endophytism. We also modeled possible effects of deforestation on leaf endophytes, highlighting how agent-based models can be useful for asking questions about changing ecosystems.