Chemoorganotrophic fungi are especially concentrated in stone crusts. They are able to penetrate into the rock material by hyphal growth and by biocorrosive activity, due to the excretion of organic acids or by the oxidation of mineral forming cations, preferably iron and manganese.
This can often leave a rust-like stain on paving slabs even after washing. The deterioration activities of dematiaceous fungi also include the discolouration of stone surfaces, due to the excretion of dark pigmented melanin.
Filamentous fungi are composed of many cells forming thread-like hyphae which form a mycelium, or network of hyphae. Most fungal species prefer to grow at acid to neutral pH (3-6) and only require 30% moisture to survive. From these dense mats, aerial reproductive hyphae (known as conidiophores) will release millions of spores into the space directly above and hence cause massive colonisation in suitable growing areas.
