Endophytic Fungi of Emersed Halophytes in River Deltas and Tidal Flats of the Korean Ramsar Wetlands

Abstract

This study aimed to obtain information on the diversity and distribution of the endophytic fungi in Ramsar wetlands. Vast salt marshes in Suncheon Bay, Korea, are formed by two types of ecotones (tidal flats and deltas) that are supported by the emersed halophytes Phragmites australis and Suaeda japonica. Overall, 324 endophytes were isolated from P. australis (six sampling points in the delta and five in the tidal flats) and S. japonica (six in tidal flats). Margalef’s, Menhinick’s, Shannon’s, and Simpson’s diversity indices significantly varied among the ecotones. In particular, higher variance in diversity value and unevenness was observed in the delta marsh compared with the tidal flat marsh. Further, morphological diversity in the delta salt marsh was 1.8 times higher than that of the tidal flat. Comprising several dominant genera (Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Penicillium), Epicoccum, Paraconiothyrium, Septoriella, and Talaromyces were widely distributed regardless of the aquatic conditions or halophyte species. This study highlights the distinct distribution and diversity of marine endophytes in various ecotones that can physically protect the coastal areas. This data is of much value to secure a national culture collection for future restoration of the coastal wetlands and their ecosystems.

Exploring macrophytes’ microbial populations dynamics to enhance bioremediation in constructed wetlands for industrial pollutants removal in sustainable wastewater treatment

“…Previously, Burkholderia phytofirmans PSJN, was discovered as an endophytic bacterial strain that colonises a wide range of plants, enhancing their growth. The genome Alabid et al 2018;Freed et al 2019;Illescas et al 2020;Gupta et al 2020;Xie et al 2020;Barrio-Puque et al 2020;Park et al 2021, Fu et al 2023 Protozoa • They maintain equilibrium in aquatic microbial food webs…”

Marine Fungi: Opportunities and Challenges

“…Table 1 summarizes studies (from 2015) of marine fungi diversity covering different substrata. Ocean crust [74][75][76][77] Plastic debris [78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89] Salt marsh plants [81][82][83] Sandy beaches [84,85] Seagrasses and seaweeds [51-53,55, [86][87][88][89][90][91][92][93][94][95][96][97][98] Sea and ice water [23][24][25]42,44,45,82,[99][100][101][102][103][104][105][106][107]…”

Fungal Diversity in Nam River and Their Biodegradative Activities

“…Although systematic studies on freshwater fungal habitats in Korea are limited, specific fungi such as Mortierella fluviae , Paraconiothyrium estuarinum , and Pyrenochaetopsis paucisetos have been identified in samples from the Yeongsan River and Suncheon Bay wetlands [ 3 , 4 ]. Additionally, widespread distribution of genera like Aspergillus , Cladosporium , Penicillium , Epicoccum , Paraconiothyrium , Septoriella , and Talaromyces , regardless of aquatic conditions or marine environment, have been reported [ 5 ]. These fungal clusters exhibit diverse compositions and sizes based on seasonal and environmental variables, serving as valuable biological indicators of environmental changes [ 6 ].…”