Hastings Natural History Reservation

04 May, 03 AM - 06 May, 12 PM

Microbial symbionts of plants, such as mycorrhizae and rhizobia, are known to improve tolerance to abiotic stresses, increase resistance to herbivory and diseases, enhance plant fitness, alter nutrient cycling, and influence community composition. Fungal endophytes that reside in the above-ground tissue of plants are widespread, yet far less studied. In fact, they have been found in the vast majority of plant species examine to date. However, our knowledge of even their basic ecology is lacking in most systems. In economically?important, agronomic turf and forage grasses, researchers have found that endophytes of the genera Neotyphodium and Epichloe can confer drought tolerance, resistance to herbivory and pathogens, and enhanced nutrient uptake, but it remains unknown if these benefits or others are common in native, wild grasses. My recent surveys of California?s native perennial bunch grasses have indicated that Bromus laevipes hosts endophytes in some populations but not in others. To better understand the conditions under which endophyte presence is common (and potentially selectively favored), I am surveying this species across a large range of ecological conditions. Data to date suggest that precipitation and altitude may be the best predictors of endophyte symbiosis. The ranges of precipitation and altitude at the Hastings Reserve indicate that B. laevipes growing there may host endophytes. I would like to collect ~20 plants (and seeds if still available) from different locations throughout the reserve to determine endophyte presence and frequency. In addition, I am interested in collecting material from B. pseudolaevipes, B. grandis, and B. grandis ? B. laevipes hybrids to understand the role of endophytes in bromes in general as well as the potential role for endophytes in speciation or reinforcement. Endophyte detection will be done in the lab by staining plant tissue and then viewing under a microscope or through culturing methods. Ultimately, I would like to find potential field sites for my dissertation research looking at the role of endophytes on selection and local adaptation in B. laevipes. I would also like to collect other species of C3 grasses for detection of endophyte. If endophyte infection is common in nature and provides strong benefits for hosts, this research may provide important insight for restoration and management work. In the few studies that have looked at native grasses, endophyte infection has been dramatically lower for commercially available restoration seed stocks than native plant populations. We need more data on endophyte-grass symbioses in native in order to make suggestions for the future and understand the full implications of past restoration and management practices.

Visit #17912 @Hastings Natural History Reservation

Approved

Under Project # 19596 | Research

Understanding the role of fungal endophytes in Bromus laevipes

faculty - University of Miami

Reservation Members(s)

Group of 2 Graduate Student May 4 - 6, 2009 (3 days)

Reserve Resources(s) | Create Invoice

Ranch House 2 May 4 - 6, 2009