Fungal endophytic community of cork oaks (Quercus suber L.) depends on the forest location
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abstract
Quercus suber is an evergreen tree species with high socio-economic and ecologic
importance in the Mediterranean Basin. Cork oak forests occupy an área of more than 2 Mha
worldwide, being the largest áreas located in Portugal, Spain, Morocco and Algeria. Despite
cork oak is well adapted to the Mediterranean climate, which is characterized by warm, dry
summers and rainy winters, plant growth and cork productivity is sensitive to climatic changes.
Plant microbiomes are determining factors for preserving plant health and productivity within
challenging climates, due to their dual ecological function as detrimental or beneficiai symbionts.
Endophytes can play a beneficiai role for plant sustainability, but some ofthem are opportunistíc
pathogens that take advantage of the weakened plants, stressed by different environmental
conditions. Several Portuguese cork oak stands, with differences in water availability, were used
for accessing the fungal endophytic of stems and branches. The diversity of funga! endophytic
community in each cork stand and relations with edaphoclimatic conditíons are described. Many
cork oak stands presented high incidence of pathogens, such as Biscogniauxia mediterrânea,
which is deposited by Platypus cylindrus Fab. into the tunnels walls for feeding adults and their
offspring.
