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9 July 2023 Diversity of Epiphytic and Endophytic Fungal Communities Associated with Leaves of Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam. from Algeria
Amel Ghazi-Yaker, Bart Kraak, Jos Houbraken, Karim Houali, Noria Saadoun
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Abstract

In this study, the diversity of endophytic and epiphytic fungi communities was evaluated and compared from healthy, symptomless and green leaves of the medicinal plant Ziziphus lotus (wild jujube) growing in Northern Algeria. Culture-based methods were used to isolate the endophytes and epiphytes. Morphological and molecular analyses were applied for identification of the fungi taxa. Both communities of the phylloplane of Ziziphus lotus differed in size and composition. Out of all 52 species, 19 were identified as epiphytic fungi and 45 as endophytes with 12 species shared by the two communities (Aspergillus costaricaensis, A. tubingensis, Aureobasidium sp., Cladosporium asperlatum, C. halotolerans, C. limoniforme, Penicillium chrysogenum, P. desertorum, P. flavigenum, P. momoii, Stemphylium sp. and Trichothecium crotonigenum). The two communities were found to be moderately similar (Sørensen similarity index = 0.37). Higher diversity values were found in endophytic community compared to epiphytic community: Shannon's diversity index H' (3.29 vs 1.83), Simpson diversity index C' (0.94 vs 0.74), species richness (3.06 vs 0.46) and species evenness (0.86 vs 0.62). Additionally, the correlation matrix was generated for the identification of possible interactions between different fungi.

Amel Ghazi-Yaker, Bart Kraak, Jos Houbraken, Karim Houali, and Noria Saadoun "Diversity of Epiphytic and Endophytic Fungal Communities Associated with Leaves of Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam. from Algeria," Polish Journal of Ecology 70(4), 159-174, (9 July 2023). https://doi.org/10.3161/15052249PJE2022.70.4.003
Received: 1 December 2022; Published: 9 July 2023
KEYWORDS
endophytic fungi
epiphytic fungi
Fungal diversity
fungal interactions
Ziziphus lotus
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