Abstract
Interactions between cultivated and wild plants with their fungal pathogens have strong ecological, evolutionary and economic implications. Antagonistic interactions, however, have been scantily studied in an applied context by using ecological networks, phylogeny and spatial ecology concurrently. In this study, we describe for the first time, the topological structure of plant-fungi networks involving species of the genusFusariumand their native and introduced (exotic) cultivated host plants in Mexico. For this, we based our study on a recent database describing the attack on 75 native and introduced plant species, including 35 species of the genusFusarium. Host plant species varied in their degree of phylogenetical relatedness (Monocots and Dicots) and spatial geographical distribution. Therefore, we also tested whether or not plant-Fusariumnetworks are phylogenetically structured and highlighted the spatial correlation between pathogens and their host plants across the country. In general, the pathogen-plant network is more specialized and compartmentalized in closely related taxa. Closely related hosts are more likely to share the same pathogenicFusariumspecies. Host plants are present in different ecosystems and climates, with regions having more cultivated plant species presenting the highest number of fusaria pathogens. From an economic standpoint, different species of the same taxonomic family may be more susceptible to being attacked by the same species ofFusarium, whereas from an ecological standpoint the movement of pathogens may expose wild and cultivated plants to new diseases. Our study highlights the relevance of interaction intimacy in structuring trophic relationships between plants and fusaria species in native and introduced species. Furthermore, we show that the analytical tools regarding host distribution and phylogeny could permit a rapid assessment of which plant species in a region are most likely to be attacked by a given fusaria.
Highlights
Fungal pathogens are recognized as the major causal agents of plant diseases and comprise an important threat to wild and cultivated plant species worldwide (Burdon, 1991; Anderson et al, 2004; Benítez-Malvido, 2012)
A total 198 seed plant species have been recorded of being attacked by the genus Fusarium across the country, including the generic names based on sexual stages linked to Fusarium (e.g., Albonectria, Gibberella, Haematonectria, Nectria, and Neocosmospora (Rossman, 1996; Kvas et al, 2009; Table 1)
For the construction of plant-Fusarium networks, we considered only the 35 plant species, morphospecies and varieties in which the identity of Fusarium species has been described in detail
Summary
Fungal pathogens are recognized as the major causal agents of plant diseases and comprise an important threat to wild and cultivated plant species worldwide (Burdon, 1991; Anderson et al, 2004; Benítez-Malvido, 2012). They represent an essential component of biodiversity in natural plant populations and communities and have strong socioeconomic implications in agroecosystems (Burdon, 1991; Desprez-Loustau et al, 2007, 2015). Recent studies with native plants and soil substrates in natural undisturbed ecosystems indicate that the number of non-pathogenic Fusarium species may be far greater than those causing diseases (Wang et al, 2004; Summerell and Leslie, 2011)
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