Invasive Plants in PNW Ecosystems
|
Fungal Symbiosis: A Potential Mechanism Of Plant Invasiveness.R. Redman1,3, L. Wright 1,3, R. Rodriguez1,2,3 All plants in natural ecosystems are thought to be symbiotic with endophytic fungi that reside entirely within plant tissues. These fungi are known to be important to the structure, function, and health of plant communities. In fact, without fungal symbioses, plant communities do not survive many environmental stresses. Fungal symbionts express a variety of symbiotic lifestyles including mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. Mutualistic fungi have been shown to increase plant growth and productivity, and confer stress tolerance against drought, salt, temperature, disease, and herbivory. We propose that fungal endophytes provide a mechanism for the habitat expansion of invasive plants species including Spartina anglica C.E. Hubbard. We have determined that Spatina anglica is symbiotic with an endophytic fungus that confers salt tolerance to plants and appears to be required for the inavsion and expansion of S. anglica in tidal flats. We are determining the biogeographic distribution of S. anglica endophytes in different mirohabitats and their significance in the invasiveness of this plant species in the Pacific Northwest.
|
||
|