Endophytes of Forest Trees Biology and Applications
Found in every plant species, the diversity of endophytic micro-organisms can be extremely high within different plant organs and tissue types. In trees, their ecological roles with respect to host tree can vary from latent pathogens or saprophytes to neu
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FORESTRY SCIENCES Volume 80
Series Editors: Shri Mohan Jain Hely H¨aggman Alvin D. Yanchuk
For further volumes: www.springer.com/series/5991
Anna Maria Pirttil¨a
A. Carolin Frank
Editors
Endophytes of Forest Trees Biology and Applications
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Editors Anna Maria Pirttil¨a Department of Biology University of Oulu Linnanmaa Biologintie A6 90570 Oulu Finland [email protected]
A. Carolin Frank School of Natural Sciences University of California, Merced North Lake Road 5200 95343 Merced California USA [email protected]
ISSN 0924-5480 e-ISSN 1875-1334 ISBN 978-94-007-1598-1 e-ISBN 978-94-007-1599-8 DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-1599-8 Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2011932676 © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011 No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Cover design: deblik Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
Preface
Although to the naked eye plants appear to be single organisms, it is now well established that they form associations with a consortium of incredibly numerous and diverse microbes that dwell on their surface, around their roots, and within their tissues. This book is the first full survey on what the forest trees hold within— endophytic fungi and bacteria. Interestingly, these endophytic microorganisms from two distinct domains of life have converged to perform some of the same functions in relation to their shared tree host, possibly allowing the long-lived trees to meet the challenge of variable or deleterious environmental conditions. Both bacterial and fungal endophytes can increase the growth of their host and provide increased tolerance towards biotic and abiotic stresses. Examples from this book include growth-promotion, protection against drought stress, resistance to insects and pathogenic fungi, and alleviation of metal toxicity. Given the often profound beneficial effects that endophytes exert on their hosts, there are several fields where an improved understanding of forest tree endophytes is necessary. First, forest tree endophytes may be a more important part of host tree biology than previously recognized. Endophytes and other plant-associated microorganisms are often neglected when studying forest tree range shifts or the effects of stressors such as air pollution and disease on trees. However, endophytes have a pivotal role in, for example, the interaction between trees and insect pests, and can be susceptible to the same stressors as their tree host, with possible consequences for important mutualistic interactions. These examples illustrate the necessity of taking a holistic approach to the stu
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