Relationship of alien species continues in a foreign land: The case of Phytophthora and Australian Banksia (Proteaceae) in South African Fynbos.

ABSTRACT: Fungal invasions only recently started to receive more attention in invasion biology. This is largely attributed to little or non-existent information about these inconspicuous organisms. Most invasion hypotheses focus on factors that increase invasion success; few try to explain why invasions fail. Here we hypothesize that a host-pathogen relationships can limit the invasiveness of an alien plant species in a novel range. To test this, we investigate whether the invasiveness of the Australian genus of Proteaceae, Banksia, in South Africa is determined by the alien and major invasive phytopathogen, Phytophthora cinnamomi. The presence of P. cinnamomi in Banksia root and soil was evaluated using morphological and molecular techniques. Isolates were cultured onto

SUBMITTER: Qongqo A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9280440 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature