Theory 18/Mycology
Foraging Is Patch Against Cord
The claim
Mycelial foraging strategy is set by the ratio of resource patchiness to cord construction cost, so a fungus builds cords only when patches are far apart and worth reaching.
01Mechanism
Cords transport nutrients over distance but cost biomass; the ratio determines whether a network or diffuse growth pays.
02Predictions
- P1Cord formation should track the ratio.
- P2Patch number alone should mispredict.
03Refutation
Cord formation tracking resource amount would remove the cost.
04Why it resists the grid
The organism is a network without a body, so growth and behaviour are the same process.