Tree diversity and the role of non-host neighbour tree species in reducing fungal pathogen infestation.

ABSTRACT: The degree to which plant pathogen infestation occurs in a host plant is expected to be strongly influenced by the level of species diversity among neighbouring host and non-host plant species. Since pathogen infestation can negatively affect host plant performance, it can mediate the effects of local biodiversity on ecosystem functioning.We tested the effects of tree diversity and the proportion of neighbouring host and non-host species with respect to the foliar fungal pathogens of Tilia cordata and Quercus petraea in the Kreinitz tree diversity experiment in Germany. We hypothesized that fungal pathogen richness increases while infestation decreases with increasing local tree diversity. In addition, we tested whether fungal pathogen richness and infestation are dependent o

SUBMITTER: Hantsch L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4278444 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature