Pervasive Effects of Wildfire on Foliar Endophyte Communities in Montane Forest Trees.

ABSTRACT: Plants in all terrestrial ecosystems form symbioses with endophytic fungi that inhabit their healthy tissues. How these foliar endophytes respond to wildfires has not been studied previously, but is important given the increasing frequency and intensity of severe wildfires in many ecosystems, and because endophytes can influence plant growth and responses to stress. The goal of this study was to examine effects of severe wildfires on endophyte communities in forest trees, with a focus on traditionally fire-dominated, montane ecosystems in the southwestern USA. We evaluated the abundance, diversity, and composition of endophytes in foliage of Juniperus deppeana (Cupressaceae) and Quercus spp. (Fagaceae) collected contemporaneously from areas affected by recent wildfire and paired areas not

SUBMITTER: Huang YL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4729612 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature