| Flessa, F; Peršoh, D; Rambold, G: Annuality of Central European deciduous tree leaves delimits community development of epifoliar pigmented fungi, Fungal Ecology, 5(5), 554–561 (2012), doi:10.1016/j.funeco.2011.12.005 | |
| Abstract: Communities of dark pigmented epifoliar fungi of various deciduous tree species from habitats in the surroundings of Bayreuth (Upper Franconia, Germany) were compared to those of evergreen plants overwintered in a greenhouse. The fungi were mainly assignable to the genera Aureobasidium, Cladosporium, Alternaria and Phoma, with most plants hosting more than one fungal genotype or taxon. While a host preference was not detected among the fungal taxa, the community composition significantly differed between annual and perennial leaves. The results indicate that the epifoliar fungal community found on leaves of deciduous Central European trees represents an early developmental stage of the same, but further developed community, found on older evergreen leaves. We therefore assume that the life-span of deciduous leaves is too short for the fungal community to reach a steady state. |
