This volume examines the interactions between plants and microorganisms located on plant surfaces, exploring their possible biotechnological applications. Interactions of microbial communities with plants are illustrated by experimental studies of typical symbiosis. Topics include signaling within a symbiosis, molecular differences between symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms, and the role of microorganisms in the development of plants.

Latent infection vs. endophytic colonization by fungi; Isolation and analysis of endophytic fungal communities from woody plants; Fungal endophytes of living branch bases in several european tree species; Ecological and physiological aspects of host specificity in endophytic fungi; Coastal redwood leaf endophytes: their occurrence, interactions and response to host volatile terpenoids; Fungal endophytes of palms; Morphological and physiological adaptation of balansieae and trends in the evolution of grass endophytes.

The leaf surface or phyllosphere is a major habitat for microorganisms. Microbes on or within leaves play important roles in plant ecology, and these microbes can be manipulated to enhance plant growth or reduce plant disease. This book presents a number of critical reviews by internationally recognized experts on the microbial ecology of leaves. Topics include methods of assessment of microbial populations on leaf surfaces, leaves as reservoirs of ice nucleation phenomenon, and leaves as microbial habitats in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. The book will be of interest to students and scientists in numerous disciplines, including botany, aerobiology, meteorology, ecology, agriculture, and microbiology.

This is the first book dedicated to the interactions of non-mycorrhizal microbial endophytes with plant roots. The phenotypes of these interactions can be extremely plastic, depending on environmental factors, nutritional status, genetic disposition and developmental stages of the two partners. This book explores diversity, life history strategies, interactions, applications in agriculture and forestry, methods for isolation, cultivation, and both conventional and molecular methods for identification and detection of these endophytes.

This volume examines the interactions between plants and microorganisms located on plant surfaces, exploring their possible biotechnological applications. Interactions of microbial communities with plants are illustrated by experimental studies of typical symbiosis. Topics include signaling within a symbiosis, molecular differences between symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms, and the role of microorganisms in the development of plants.

Endophytic fungi are common and diverse in plants. Yet the nature of their interactions with host plants, and how these interactions cascade upward to communities and ecosystems, is largely unknown. In the first book of its kind, Gregory P. Cheplick and Stanley H. Faeth synthesize existing studies of endophyte-grass symbioses within the context of modern ecological and evolutionary concepts. The authors cover a broad range of topics including the effects of endophytes on herbivory, host growth, physiology, reproduction, and competitive ability in a variety of grasses and environments. Clearly and engagingly written, Ecology and Evolution of the Grass-Endophyte Symbiosis highlights the most essential aspects of symbiosis ecology and evolution while suggesting avenues for future research.

Endophytic fungi are important biotechnological tools because they produce many secondary metabolites. However, to access this important source of bioactive molecules, it is essential to explore the diversity of endophytic fungi and catalog their species richness in different ecosystems. This book reviews the diversity, characterisation and biocontrol of endophytic fungi.