Environmental conditions and host plant origin override endophyte effects on invertebrate communities

Abstract

Systemic fungal endophytes of grasses can produce high concentrations of alkaloids that are known to deter invertebrate herbivores and reduce their abundance, especially in agronomic grasses. Grass endophytes may also influence invertebrate community diversity and composition. Here, we examined in a common garden experiment with wild tall fescue plants and the agronomic cultivar Kentucky 31, whether infection by Neotyphodium coenophialum, the genetic background (origin) of the host plant, abiotic factors, and their interactions affected the invertebrate communities living on tall fescue. We collected a total of 18650 invertebrates from the 480 tall fescue plants, identified them to 97 morphological taxa (mainly to family level) representing five feeding guilds (herbivores, detritivores, omnivores, predators and parasitoids). In contrast to past literature, endophyte infection did not affect abundances of any taxon or feeding guild, or taxonomic diversity and the composition of the invertebrate community. Instead, the invertebrate community of native tall fescue appears to be primarily driven by environmental conditions and niche differentiation among taxonomical groups of invertebrates. We propose that community approaches are required to understand of the role of endophytes on arthropod abundances and diversity in nature.

The genus Phomopsis: biology, applications, species concepts and names of common phytopathogens

“…These compounds previously were known only from sclerotia of Claviceps paspali as tremorgenic mycotoxins causing neurological disorders of livestock (Bills et al 1992). Thus the presence of endophytes in plant may be advantageous for the plants and may deter herbivory (Brayford 1990;Hyde and Soytong 2008;Weber 2009;Vesterlund et al 2011).…”

Pathogen resistant advantage of endophyte-infected over endophyte-free Leymus chinensis is strengthened by pre-drought treatment

“…The relevance of drought as regulator for plant-microbe interactions has been demonstrated for fungal endophytes (Miranda et al 2011;Vesterlund et al 2011;Yule et al 2011). For instance, Yule et al (2011) found that a moderate water-stress treatment strengthened the positive effect of endophytes on plant biomass and aphid incidence, which was lost under a highwatering regime.…”

Diversity and composition of fungal endophytes in semiarid Northwest Venezuela

“…Many fungal endophytes establish mutualistic associations with their host plants (Saikkonen et al, 2010;Vesterlund et al, 2011), providing benefits that range from protection against herbivores (Albrectsen et al, 2010;Clay, 1988) to stress tolerance Rodriguez et al, , 2004, which seems to play an important role in shaping plant communities (Rudgers and Clay, 2007).…”