Endophytic fungi are those that throughout or part of their life cycle colonize plant tissues forming different relationships with the host plant ranging from mutualistic to pathogenic. Some of these fungi have been found to influence the establishment of pioneer species. Using a preliminary theoretical framework, tested on a small set of host species, was developed to jump start a conversation about the trade-offs present in root-associated fungi. To this end, fungi were isolated from four plants: Quercus humboldtii, Bambusa sp, Cecropia sp. and Oreopanax parviflorus, identified molecularly and phylogenetically; functional traits important for host colonization were measured. These traits include growth rate, hyphal diameter, hyphal coloration, hyphal cytoplasmic content, mycelial color, and biomass. Finally, statistical analyses were performed to identify correlations among the traits regarding the host and habitat. A total of 41 root endophyte cultures were obtained from the four plant species, comprising twenty-five species, all of them belonging to the Ascomycetes. All the isolates, except for Cadophora sp, presented similar in-vitro growth rates. The analysis of the hyphal coloration, which presented only a marginally significant difference among isolates, suggest an important role of melanin in the growth of these fungi. A potential non-linear relationship between hyphal diameter and growth rate was also found. Finally, there may be possible functional groups characterized by dense and sparse biomass. Our results are preliminary; however, this is a first step in understanding the functional ecology of root endophytes associated with tropical pioneer plant species.
publication date
September 14, 2021 12:40 PM
Research
keywords
Analysis of the functional ecology of endophytic fungi
