Exploring the Diversity and Ecological Dynamics of Palm Leaf Spotting Fungi—A Case Study on Ornamental Palms in Portugal
Palm trees (<i>Arecaceae</i>) are among the most popular ornamental plants worldwide. Despite extensive research on the fungi associated with <i>Arecaceae</i>, the diversity and ecological dynamics of fungi affecting ornamental palms remain poorly studied, although they have...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Fungi |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/11/1/43 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832588223531974656 |
|---|---|
| author | Diana S. Pereira Alan J. L. Phillips |
| author_facet | Diana S. Pereira Alan J. L. Phillips |
| author_sort | Diana S. Pereira |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Palm trees (<i>Arecaceae</i>) are among the most popular ornamental plants worldwide. Despite extensive research on the fungi associated with <i>Arecaceae</i>, the diversity and ecological dynamics of fungi affecting ornamental palms remain poorly studied, although they have significant impact on palm health and economic value. Furthermore, while research on palm fungal diversity has traditionally focused on tropical assemblages, ornamental palms in temperate climates offer a unique opportunity to explore the diversity of palm fungi in non-native habitats. The present study conducted a preliminary assessment of the diversity and ecology of potential phytopathogenic fungi associated with foliar lesions on various ornamental palm host species in Portugal, combining morphological examination, PCR-based genomic fingerprinting, and biodiversity data analysis. The examination of 134 foliar lesions sampled from 100 palm trees resulted in a collection of 2064 palm leaf spotting fungi (PLSF), representing a diverse fungal assemblage of 320 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) across 97 genera. The overall fungal community composition revealed a distinct assemblage dominated by <i>Neosetophoma</i>, <i>Alternaria</i>, <i>Phoma</i>, and <i>Cladosporium</i>, with a profusion of infrequent and rare taxa consistent with a logseries distribution. Significantly positive co-occurrence (CO) patterns among prevalent and uncommon taxa suggest potential synergistic interactions enhancing fungal colonisation, persistence, and pathogenicity. The taxonomic structures of the PLSF contrasted markedly from tropical palm fungi, especially in the prevalence of pleosporalean coelomycetes of the <i>Didymellaceae</i> and <i>Phaeosphaeriaceae</i>, including recently introduced or not previously documented genera on <i>Arecaceae</i>. This novel assemblage suggests that climatic constraints shape the structure of palm fungal communities, resulting in distinctive temperate and tropical assemblages. In addition, the fungal assemblages varied significantly across palm host species, with temperate-native palms hosting more diverse, coelomycete-enriched communities. The present findings highlight foliar lesions as hyperdiverse microhabitats harbouring fungal communities with intricate interactions and a complex interplay of climatic, host, and ecological factors. With climate change altering environmental conditions, the identification of fungi thriving in or inhabiting these microhabitats becomes crucial for predicting shifts in pathogen dynamics and mitigating future fungal disease outbreaks. Understanding these complex ecological dynamics is essential for identifying potential phytopathogenic threats and developing effective management strategies for the health and sustainability of ornamental plants. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ab75660e2409466699fea7ee93ee1c96 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2309-608X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Fungi |
| spelling | doaj-art-ab75660e2409466699fea7ee93ee1c962025-01-24T13:37:20ZengMDPI AGJournal of Fungi2309-608X2025-01-011114310.3390/jof11010043Exploring the Diversity and Ecological Dynamics of Palm Leaf Spotting Fungi—A Case Study on Ornamental Palms in PortugalDiana S. Pereira0Alan J. L. Phillips1Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, PortugalBiosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, PortugalPalm trees (<i>Arecaceae</i>) are among the most popular ornamental plants worldwide. Despite extensive research on the fungi associated with <i>Arecaceae</i>, the diversity and ecological dynamics of fungi affecting ornamental palms remain poorly studied, although they have significant impact on palm health and economic value. Furthermore, while research on palm fungal diversity has traditionally focused on tropical assemblages, ornamental palms in temperate climates offer a unique opportunity to explore the diversity of palm fungi in non-native habitats. The present study conducted a preliminary assessment of the diversity and ecology of potential phytopathogenic fungi associated with foliar lesions on various ornamental palm host species in Portugal, combining morphological examination, PCR-based genomic fingerprinting, and biodiversity data analysis. The examination of 134 foliar lesions sampled from 100 palm trees resulted in a collection of 2064 palm leaf spotting fungi (PLSF), representing a diverse fungal assemblage of 320 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) across 97 genera. The overall fungal community composition revealed a distinct assemblage dominated by <i>Neosetophoma</i>, <i>Alternaria</i>, <i>Phoma</i>, and <i>Cladosporium</i>, with a profusion of infrequent and rare taxa consistent with a logseries distribution. Significantly positive co-occurrence (CO) patterns among prevalent and uncommon taxa suggest potential synergistic interactions enhancing fungal colonisation, persistence, and pathogenicity. The taxonomic structures of the PLSF contrasted markedly from tropical palm fungi, especially in the prevalence of pleosporalean coelomycetes of the <i>Didymellaceae</i> and <i>Phaeosphaeriaceae</i>, including recently introduced or not previously documented genera on <i>Arecaceae</i>. This novel assemblage suggests that climatic constraints shape the structure of palm fungal communities, resulting in distinctive temperate and tropical assemblages. In addition, the fungal assemblages varied significantly across palm host species, with temperate-native palms hosting more diverse, coelomycete-enriched communities. The present findings highlight foliar lesions as hyperdiverse microhabitats harbouring fungal communities with intricate interactions and a complex interplay of climatic, host, and ecological factors. With climate change altering environmental conditions, the identification of fungi thriving in or inhabiting these microhabitats becomes crucial for predicting shifts in pathogen dynamics and mitigating future fungal disease outbreaks. Understanding these complex ecological dynamics is essential for identifying potential phytopathogenic threats and developing effective management strategies for the health and sustainability of ornamental plants.https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/11/1/43<i>Arecaceae</i>fungal diversityfungal ecologygenomic fingerprintingleaf spotsornamentals |
| spellingShingle | Diana S. Pereira Alan J. L. Phillips Exploring the Diversity and Ecological Dynamics of Palm Leaf Spotting Fungi—A Case Study on Ornamental Palms in Portugal Journal of Fungi <i>Arecaceae</i> fungal diversity fungal ecology genomic fingerprinting leaf spots ornamentals |
| title | Exploring the Diversity and Ecological Dynamics of Palm Leaf Spotting Fungi—A Case Study on Ornamental Palms in Portugal |
| title_full | Exploring the Diversity and Ecological Dynamics of Palm Leaf Spotting Fungi—A Case Study on Ornamental Palms in Portugal |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the Diversity and Ecological Dynamics of Palm Leaf Spotting Fungi—A Case Study on Ornamental Palms in Portugal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the Diversity and Ecological Dynamics of Palm Leaf Spotting Fungi—A Case Study on Ornamental Palms in Portugal |
| title_short | Exploring the Diversity and Ecological Dynamics of Palm Leaf Spotting Fungi—A Case Study on Ornamental Palms in Portugal |
| title_sort | exploring the diversity and ecological dynamics of palm leaf spotting fungi a case study on ornamental palms in portugal |
| topic | <i>Arecaceae</i> fungal diversity fungal ecology genomic fingerprinting leaf spots ornamentals |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/11/1/43 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dianaspereira exploringthediversityandecologicaldynamicsofpalmleafspottingfungiacasestudyonornamentalpalmsinportugal AT alanjlphillips exploringthediversityandecologicaldynamicsofpalmleafspottingfungiacasestudyonornamentalpalmsinportugal |