Researchers isolated seven fungi from pyrogenic carbon in a prescribed-fire pine forest in Georgia and tested how they grow on fire-derived carbon and handle heat. The results show no consistent pattern: some isolates grew faster on pyrogenic carbon, others preferred sucrose, and isolates of the same species varied widely. Heat tolerance did not align with carbon use, and none of the fungi grew at 40 °C. Because the study used a small sample and lab cultures, it does not settle how these fungi affect carbon storage after fire. But it does suggest that treating pyrophilic fungi as one functional group could overestimate the predictability of post-fire carbon cycling. That is useful context for soil carbon models and for anyone working on fire-prone ecosystems.
