Volume 17, October 2015, Pages 18–29
Wild trees in the Amazon basin harbor a great diversity of beneficial endosymbiotic fungi: is this evidence of protective mutualism?
Abstract
It
has been shown that the disappearance of, or drastic changes in,
ancestral and indigenous (or native) endosymbiotic microbiota can lead
to many adverse health consequences. However, the effects of changes in
beneficial endosymbionts in plants are poorly known (except for
mycorrhizal and rhizobial associations). We sampled and compared
endophytes from hundreds of trees belonging to the economically
important genus Hevea, the source of natural rubber, in their
native range in the Amazon basin and in plantations. We also conducted
antagonism tests to determine the potential effects that some of these
endophytes may have on selected plant pathogenic fungi. The natural and
indigenous endosymbiotic mycota of the rubber tree (Hevea)
contains a high diversity of beneficial fungi that may protect against
pathogens (protective mutualism). In contrast, plantation trees have a
reduced and different diversity of these beneficial fungi. We propose
that abundance, and not just presence, of competitive fungal strains and
species (i.e., Trichoderma and Tolypocladium) create a
protective effect against pathogens in wild trees. This study provides
support for the importance of mutualistic endosymbionts in plant health
and ecosystem resilience, and calls for awareness of their potential
loss by human-related activities.
Keywords
- Biodiversity;
- Biological control;
- Hevea;
- Natural rubber;
- Tropical forest conservation
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The British Mycological Society. All rights reserved.