Abstract:
The aerial surfaces of plants, or phyllosphere, represent unique and wide habitats for microbial communities, which
play a key role in plant growth and adaptation to adverse conditions. The phyllosphere microbiota is composed mainly
of bacteria and fungi, and less frequently are present viruses, cyanobacteria, and protozoans. Leaf-inhabiting fungi and
bacteria are important, but often overlooked component of biodiversity studies. To understand their diversity and
function in relation to plant species and climate, the phyllospheres of five phylogenetically diverse ornamental plant
species (Vinca minor, Aster dumosus, Chrysanthemum indicum, Stachys lanata, and Sedum spectabile) were analyzed
under indoor and outdoor conditions. For both environment, Stachys lanata showed the lowest absolute abundance and
diversity of fungi and bacteria, while Aster dumosus had the highest abundance and the diversity of fungi in comparacy
to the other four plant species. Fungal isolates were abundantly ascomycetes and predominated by commonly known
endophytic genera, such as Penicillium, Aspergillus, Alternaria, Rhizopus, and Fusarium. In the outdoor environment
was a smaller proportion of shared fungal genera among the five different plants, in comparacy to indoor controlled
greenhouse. For a better knowledge of the impact of plant species, UV radiation, variable temperature, nutritional
resources, and relative humidity on microbial biodiversity, fungal genera from inside and outside cultivated species
were identified.
