Fungal communities of aquatic ecosystems are understudied, leaving major gaps in estimating global fungal biodiversity. In particular, little is known regarding the distinctiveness of (1) aquatic endophytes vs. those in terrestrial plants, and (2) waterborne fungi vs. those inhabiting aquatic plants or sediments. I assessed the diversity, composition, host affiliations, and geographic structure of culturable endophytes associated with aquatic angiosperms in reservoirs in northern Arizona, and their distinctiveness relative to waterborne- and sediment fungi. Endophytes were low in abundance yet extremely diverse. Communities differed significantly in composition among reservoirs and tissues. Aquatic endophytes were largely distinct from those in terrestrial plants, and from those in water and sediment, but did not demonstrate host specificity. This work reveals the uncommon diversity and distinctiveness of endophytes in aquatic plants, and provides a first quantitative estimation of endophytic associations in diverse, ecologically important, and economically relevant aquatic plants.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/293649 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Sandberg, Dustin Cody |
| Contributors | Arnold, A. Elizabeth, Orbach, Marc J., Pryor, Barry M. |
| Publisher | The University of Arizona. |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text, Electronic Thesis |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. |
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