Distinct foliar fungal communities in Pinus contorta across native and introduced ranges: evidence for context dependency of pathogen release.

ABSTRACT: Inter-continental study systems are crucial for testing ecological hypotheses, such as the widely cited Enemy Release Hypothesis (ERH), which seeks to explain the superior performance of plant species when they are introduced to new regions. Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine), native to North America, has been extensively introduced to Europe and the Southern Hemisphere, making it an ideal tree species for studying invasion hypotheses from a biogeographical perspective. We compared foliar fungal communities, especially pathogens, of P. contorta across two native-introduced region pairs (NIRPs): a northern NIRP (from Canada to Sweden) and a southern NIRP (from the USA to Patagonia), while also examining the differences between source plantations and invasion fronts within Patagonia. P. contort

SUBMITTER: Zhao R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11873135 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature