Desiccation tolerance (DT) is the ability of an organism or structure to dry completely and subsequently survive in that air-dry state. Hornworts are excellent plant models study desiccation effects as they have contrasting life histories which likely associated with DT. We tested whether (1) epiphytic species had more efficient DT responses drying postrehydration than non-epiphytic (2) “green”...

Our study focuses on bacterial communities associated with two benthic, epiphytic dinoflagellates, Gambierdiscus australes and Ostreopsis cf. ovata, isolated from coastal waters of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, grown in clonal cultures. The goal was to characterize the stable consortia found within phycosphere each dinoflagellate species establish into which functional group they fell. High-through...

Pseudomonas syringae inocula containing cell concentrations ranging from 10 to 10 cells per ml were applied to the primary leaves of bean plants. The plants were incubated under conditions of high temperature and illumination and low relative humidity. Bacterial mortality rates and the proportional population decline of the inoculum were lowest at the highest inoculum concentrations. Addition o...

Road traffic emits a cocktail of pollutants that can influence the vegetation and plant diversity in neighboring areas. However, the recovery potential of bryophytes after traffic abandonment is still little explored. In addition, the effects of the main pollutants of road verges, such as metals and salinity, on moss flora need to be investigated. In our study, we compared the moss richness and...

Macroalgae belonging to the genus Padina are known to produce antibacterial compounds that may inhibit growth of human- and animal pathogens. Hitherto, it was unclear whether this antibacterial activity is produced by the macroalga itself or by secondary metabolite producing epiphytic bacteria. Here we report antibacterial activities of epiphytic bacteria isolated from Padina pavonica (Peacocks...

BACKGROUND Contamination of tomatoes by Salmonella can occur in agricultural settings. Little is currently understood about how agricultural inputs such as pesticide applications may impact epiphytic crop microflora and potentially play a role in contamination events. We examined the impact of two materials commonly used in Virginia tomato agriculture: acibenzolar-S-methyl (crop protectant) and...

We investigated the potential for nonvascular epiphytic species (primarily lichens) to affect the quality of different host tree species for the vascular epiphyte Tillandsia usneoides in the southeastern USA. Different host tree species had substantially different abundances of Tillandsia, and these abundances were correlated with the composition of nonvascular epiphyte communities. In greenhou...

The population dynamics of the epiphytic bromeliad, Werauhia sanguinolenta , growing in the moist tropical forest of Barro Colorado Island, Panama, was studied for seven years from 1997 through 2004. In contrast to the generally held notion of the great importance of moisture availability for growth and survival of vascular epiphytes, no demographic process showed a significant correlation with...

Ocean acidification causes biodiversity loss, alters ecosystems, and may impact food security, as shells of small organisms dissolve easily in corrosive waters. There is a suggestion that photosynthetic organisms could mitigate ocean acidification on a local scale, through seagrass protection or seaweed cultivation, as net ecosystem organic production raises the saturation state of calcium carb...