RUcore Resource Object
RUcore Resource Object
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TitleEnvironmental variables affect fungal diversity on blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) leaf surfaces
NameStanwood, Jason (author), Dighton, John (chair), Morgan, Mark (internal member), Shane, Daniel (internal member), Rutgers University, Camden Graduate School,
Degree Date2009-05
Date Created2009
SubjectBiology,
Blueberries,
Leaves--Diseases and pests,
Plant-fungus relationships
DescriptionThe economically important blueberry, Vaccinium cyanococcus, is susceptible to a number of diseases, some of which are propagated by fungi living on the leaf surface. The leaf surface (phylloplane) is a cryptic environment that harbors a variety of pathogens and pathogen antagonists, and these populations are affected by many factors including weather, season, host plant location and leaf phenology. Blueberry leaves were collected in April, June, August, and October over two years from bushes in wild areas and cultivated farms along transects perpendicular to the Atlantic City Expressway, to address the hypothesis that pollution from a major highway would influence phylloplane communities. Leaves were washed and plated on potato dextrose agar, and fungal epiphytes were identified using taxonomic keys and microscopy. Epicoccum spp., Alternaria spp., Pennicilium spp., and Curvularia spp. were the most ubiquitous fungi isolated from blueberry leaves. Community structure and species richness changed from site-to-site and month-to-month and from year-to-year. The influence of highway proximity to fungal communities was not significant. Management practices in cultivated sites accounted for much of the variation in species richness and community composition among sites. Leaf age also influenced the community structure of phylloplane fungi communities. Leaves collected in April had significantly lower species richness than those collect in later months (F=19.37, P<0.0001). Yearly differences in species richness and community structure were likely due to differences in meteorological variables. Greater information provided by frequency of occurrence of fungal species would lead to a more informative multivariate analysis as presence or absence would be weighted by abundance, allowing for interpretations of dominance and more detailed analysis of phylloplane fungal communities.
NoteM.S.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references (p. 25-27)
Noteby Jason Stanwood
Genretheses
Persistent URLhttp://hdl.rutgers.edu/1782.2/rucore10005600001.ETD.000051331
Languageeng
CollectionCamden Graduate School Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work