Why Plants Harbor Complex Endophytic Fungal Communities: Insights From Perennial Bunchgrass Stipagrostis sabulicola in the Namib Sand Sea.

ABSTRACT: All perennial plants harbor diverse endophytic fungal communities, but why they tolerate these complex asymptomatic symbioses is unknown. Using a multi-pronged approach, we conclusively found that a dryland grass supports endophyte communities comprised predominantly of latent saprophytes that can enhance localized nutrient recycling after senescence. A perennial bunchgrass, Stipagrostis sabulicola, which persists along a gradient of extreme abiotic stress in the hyper-arid Namib Sand Sea, was the focal point of our study. Living tillers yielded 20 fungal endophyte taxa, 80% of which decomposed host litter during a 28-day laboratory decomposition assay. During a 6-month field experiment, tillers with endophytes decomposed twice as fast as sterilized tillers, consistent with the labo

SUBMITTER: Wenndt AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8217645 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature