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Colonization and lignin decomposition of Camellia japonica leaf litter by endophytic fungi

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Mycoscience

Abstract

Endophytic fungi occur on various types of leaf litter, but few studies have been done on their roles as saprophytes in decomposition. This study examined the succession of fungi in live, newly shed, and decomposing leaves at 2 months of decomposition of Camellia japonica and chemical changes in decomposing leaves colonized by endophytes. Coccomyces nipponicum, Lophodermium sp., Geniculosporium sp. 1, and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides were isolated from living leaves. Coccomyces nipponicum and Lophodermium sp. were also isolated frequently from newly shed and decomposing leaves. These two fungi caused a decrease of lignin content and bleaching in decomposing leaves under field and laboratory conditions. Total hyphal length in decomposing leaves was higher in bleached portions than in surrounding nonbleached portions, which probably reflected the early onset of hyphal growth of endophytes inside leaf tissue at leaf senescence or death. Incubation of newly shed leaves that were sterilized to exclude previously established endophytes resulted in no occurrence of bleached portions in decomposing leaves on the forest floor. This result indicated that these endophytes were incapable of colonizing leaves directly after litterfall and that the persistence of endophytes from live leaves was crucial for their colonization in decomposing leaves.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Forest Ecology, Division of Environmental Science and Technology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Kanade Koide, Takashi Osono & Hiroshi Takeda

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  1. Kanade Koide
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  2. Takashi Osono
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  3. Hiroshi Takeda
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Correspondence to Takashi Osono.

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Koide, K., Osono, T. & Takeda, H. Colonization and lignin decomposition of Camellia japonica leaf litter by endophytic fungi. Mycoscience 46, 280–286 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10267-005-0247-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10267-005-0247-7

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