Seasonal Occurrence and Distribution of Fungi Associated with <i>Spartina Alterniflora</i> from a Rhode Island Estuary

Gessner, Robert

doi:10.1080/00275514.1977.12020086

Cited by 35 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Temperate coastal wetlands are often dominated by salt marsh grasses, such as species of Spartina and Juncus. Most research on the associated mycota of these temperate plants in based on Spartina (Johnson and Sparrow 1961, Meyers et al 1970, Meyers 1974, Gessner 1976, 1977, Gessner and Kohlmeyer 1976, Kohlmeyer and Kohlmeyer 1979. There is also some information on the fungi associated with Juncus roemerianus Scheele (Kohlmeyer and Volkmann-Kohlmeyer 1993a, Kohlmeyer et al 1995a,b,c, 1966.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity of Intertidal Estuarine Fungi on Phragmites at Mai Po Marshes, Hong Kong

Poon¹,

Hyde²

1998

Botanica Marina

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Intertidal decaying stems and leaf sheaths of Phragmites australis were randomly collected and their mycota examined. Sixty one species of fungi were associated with the decaying stems and leaf sheaths, including Antiptodera spp., Lignincola laevis, Phomatospora phragmiticola and ZopfieUa latipes. The following new species are described, Halosarpheia phragmiticola, Massarina phragmiticola, Phomqtospora phragmiticola and Cytoplacosphaeria phragmiticola. The fungal communities associated with decaying Phragmites australis permanently submerged in the gei wai (tidal shrimp farms) differ from those in the intertidal region. The diversity of these fungi are discussed in relation to the biodiversity of fungi in mangrove communities in Hong Kong and with those fungi of other salt marsh communities.Brought to you by | University of Hong Kong Libraries Authenticated Download Date | 2/5/16 2:26 AM

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity of Intertidal Estuarine Fungi on Phragmites at Mai Po Marshes, Hong Kong

Poon¹,

Hyde²

1998

Botanica Marina

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“…The ''dead plant community'' consists primarily of a small group of species of ascomycetes that is invariably associated with the natural decay of leaves of smooth cordgrass, especially Phaeosphaeria spartinicola, Phaeosphaeria halima, an unnamed species of Mycosphaerella, and Buergenerula spartinae (Gessner 1977;Newell et al 2000;Newell and Porter 2000;Newell 2001a). Lee et al (1980) introduced measurement of fungal mass within decaying shoot material of smooth cordgrass using ergosterol as a biomass proxy.…”

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confidence: 99%

Multiyear patterns of fungal biomass dynamics and productivity within naturally decaying smooth cordgrass shoots

Newell

2001

Limnology & Oceanography

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Ascomycetous fungi are predominant secondary microbial producers of the smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) shoot decay system. A 3-yr examination of concentrations of living fungal mass (as ergosterol content) in naturally decaying cordgrass, and of instantaneous rates of cordgrass-fungal production (as rates of incorporation of radiolabeled acetate into ergosterol at a standard temperature of 20ЊC), was conducted in three salt-marsh watersheds of Sapelo Island. Though the years of study were climatologically different (e.g., rainfall ranging over a factor ϳ2), ergosterol content of decaying leaves was not different from year to year, with a grand mean of 371 g ergosterol g Ϫ1 organic mass of decaying system, and there was little difference among yearly average fungal productivities (range ϭ 155-217 g fungal organic mass g Ϫ1 system organic mass h Ϫ1 for autumn-spring data). Significant differences in ergosterol content of decaying leaves were found among marsh watersheds, probably due to differences in nitrogen (but not phosphorus) availability, but these were not large (maximum 1.3-fold for multiseasonal data), and differences were not found among marsh subsites (short to tall shoot) nor, for the most part, among types or parts of decaying leaves. Season of sampling, however, had a large effect upon fungal biomass and fungal productivity: average ergosterol contents were significantly higher in winter and spring (e.g., 416-554 g g Ϫ1 organic mass of decaying blades) than in summer or autumn (Ͻ310 g g Ϫ1 ). Among the potential reasons for this unexpected pattern of seasonality might be (1) greater access of mycophagous invertebrates and/or bacterial competitors due to higher tides and lower elevation of leaves in late summer and fall, and (2) leaching of leaf digestate during periods of high rainfall and high spring tides. Significant correlations were found between ergosterol content of decaying leaves and mean tidal height for the 3 months before sampling (r ϭ Ϫ0.77) and for fungal productivities and 3-month rainfall (r ϭ Ϫ0.62). Grazing of decaying leaves by salt-marsh periwinkles over the range of snail densities of the study sites (0-85 m Ϫ2 ) gave no clear evidence of depression of fungal biomass or repression of fungal activity, contrary to previous findings for higher snail densities. The calculated seasonal change in living fungal percentage of decaying leaves was from ϳ6 (summer-autumn) to 9% (winter-spring), and in 6-month fungal production, the change was from 101 to 434 g organic fungal mass m Ϫ2 marsh surface.

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“…Mycologists have been aware that ascomycetous fungi (Kingdom Fungi, phylum Ascomycota; Hawksworth et al 1995) are secondary producers in standing-decaying shoots of smooth cordgrass since the century (Gessner andVolkmann-Kohlmeyer 1991). However, in part due to non-recognition of the absence of abscission of shoot parts (previous section), marsh ecologists did not form partnerships with marsh mycologists, and prokaryotes were designated as the drivers of marshgrass-shoot decomposition in the 1950s (Newell 1993).…”

Section: Fungimentioning

confidence: 94%

Microbial Secondary Production from Salt Marsh-Grass Shoots, and Its Known and Potential Fates

Newell

Porter

Concepts and Controversies in Tidal Marsh Ecology

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Several lines of evidence (direct microscopy, index biochemicals) point to predominance of eukaryotic decomposers in natural decay of dead shoots of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora). Recent research shows that this is also true for black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus). Ascomycetous fungi are the major initial secondary producers based on the dead shoots. There is no overlap between the species of the cordgrass (e.g., Phaeosphaeria spartinicola) and needlerush (e.g., Loratospora aestuarii) fungal-decay communities. Even when conditions in the marsh are manipulated in directions that would be expected to favor prokaryotes (extra water and nitrogen), the ascomycetes accumulate maximum organic masses in standing-decaying shoots hundreds of times larger than prokaryotic masses. Rates of fungal production are not increased by raising duration of high water availability, probably due to fine-tuned fungal adaptation to periodic dryness, but nitrogen does limit fungal productivity in decaying cordgrass. Content of living-fungal mass can be 10 to 20% of total system (= microbes + remaining plant) mass, depending on nitrogen availability, rates of invertebrate mycophagy, and probably several further factors yet to be determined. Standing crops of living fungi in cordgrass marshes in Georgia basis) have been calculated to be equal to 3% (summer) to 28% (winter) of living-cordgrass standing crop. This is calculated to be about 50 to 100% of total (non-cyano) bacterial crop; the great bulk of bacterial crop is sedimentary. Fungal productivity per standing-decaying-cordgrass marsh has been provisionally found to be 10 times greater in winter than in summer (3652 mg per per day; ). Total bacterial productivity per was calculated to be about x2 fungal in summer, and x0.07 fungal in winter. High yields of fungi (on the order of 50%) from cordgrass shoots may be part of the explanation for high rates of animal secondary production in saltmarsh ecosystems. Cordgrass-fungal standing crops and productivities (per unit leaf mass) do not show pronounced variation (in autumn) along a south-north latitudinal gradient from 30° to 44°N. One major known fate of saltmarsh-fungal secondary production is output to shredder gastropods (periwinkles, Littoraria irrorata). Other potential substantial fluxes are to 159

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Seasonal Occurrence and Distribution of Fungi Associated with Spartina Alterniflora from a Rhode Island Estuary

Cited by 35 publications

References 20 publications

Biodiversity of Intertidal Estuarine Fungi on Phragmites at Mai Po Marshes, Hong Kong

Biodiversity of Intertidal Estuarine Fungi on Phragmites at Mai Po Marshes, Hong Kong

Multiyear patterns of fungal biomass dynamics and productivity within naturally decaying smooth cordgrass shoots

Microbial Secondary Production from Salt Marsh-Grass Shoots, and Its Known and Potential Fates

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