Endophytic mycobiota of healthy twigs and the assemblage of species associated with twig lesions of Eucalyptus globulus and E. grandis in Uruguay

Abstract

The endophytic mycobiota of healthy twigs and the assemblage of species associated with twig lesions of Eucalyptus globulus and E. grandis planted at the same site in the central west region of Uruguay was examined. Twig segments from E. grandis and E. globulus were plated on 2% malt agar. The diversity of endophytes isolated was low, as was the number of host-specific species. E. globulus endophytes of healthy xylem were different from the colonizers of cracked lesions and healthy bark. Conversely, in E. grandis characterized by black spots, the main difference in species composition was between xylem and bark. Cytospora chrysosperma was isolated from healthy bark and symptomatic twigs of E. globulus, suggesting that symptomatic tissues, such as cracks produced under drought were favourable to saprotrophic expansion.