Table 1. Details of species used.

Ecological role	Species	Abbreviation	Strain		Source	Initial pH
Control	None	C	—	—	—	4.88a
Primary colonizer	Hypoxylon fragiforme	Hpf	HpfFF1	Ascomycota	Beech wood isolation	5.50b
	Biscogniauxia nummularia	Bxn	BxnFF1	Ascomycota	Beech wood isolation	5.31b
	Vuilleminia comedens	Vc	VcWVJH1	Basidiomycota	Beech wood isolation	3.67c
Early secondary coloniser	Trametes versicolor	Tv	TvCCJH1	Basidiomycota	Fruit body isolation	4.83a
	Stereum hirsutum	Sh	ShSS1	Basidiomycota	Fruit body isolation	3.31d
	Bjerkandera adusta	Ba	BaSS1	Basidiomycota	Fruit body isolation	4.16e
Late secondary/tertiary coloniser	Hypholoma fasciculare	Hf	HfDD3	Basidiomycota	Fruit body isolation	3.83c
	Phanerochaete velutina	Pv	Pv29	Basidiomycota	Beech wood isolation	3.88ce
	Phallus impudicus	Pi	PiJHY4	Basidiomycota	Cord isolation	—

Initial wood pH was determined using pre-colonised wood; different superscript letters indicate significant (P<0.05) differences in pH between pre-coloniser species.