Fungal network architecture
Network architecture qualitatively differed with varying levels of fungal relatedness. We quantified complexity, measured as fractal dimension, Dm of the three relatedness treatments. Measuring from the focal root compartment toward the central fungus-only compartment, we found that a network composed of only A5 (i.e. selfing) increased in complexity fromDm ~1.1 toDm ~1.2 moving toward the center of the central fungus-only compartment. This was accompanied by an increase in surface area covered from 4 to 8% (Fig. 4a-c). However, when the partner root was inoculated with the non-selfing partner strain B12 (Fig. 4d-f) or Agg (Fig. 4g-i), the complexity and density of the network showed the opposite pattern, with both decreasing towards the center of the central compartment. The fractal dimensions decreased from Dm ~ 1.3 toDm ~1.2 in B12 and fromDm ~1.5 toDm ~1.1 in Agg, and the surface area from 10 to 5% in B12 and from 19 to 4% in Agg.