Biodiversity of Plant Pathogenic Fungi - Kerala Forest Research ...

Acacia sp., Anogeissus latifolia (Roxb. DC.) Wall.ex Guill. & Perr., Bauhinia sp.,
Cleistanthus collinus Benth., Grewia tiliifolia Vahl, Pavetta indica L., Pterocarpus
marsupium Roxb., Radermachera xylocarpa (Roxb.) K.Schum., Santalum album L.,
Tectona grandis L.f., etc. The lower storey is comprised of Cycas circinalis L.,
Holarrhena pubescens (Buch.-Ham.) Wall.ex G. Don, Wrightia tinctoria (Roxb.) R.Br.,
etc. Dioscorea sp. and Ichnocarpus frutescens (L.) R.Br. are the common climbers.
Many annual herbs make their appearance during rainy season.
Disease survey carried out in dry deciduous forests (2 study sites) in Chinnar Wildlife
Sanctuary, 25 plant species were found infected with 50 fungal isolates belonging to 16
fungal pathogens. Only foliage infection was recorded from these study sites. Alternaria,
Colletotrichum, Curvularia, Phoma, Phomopsis, Pestalotiopsis, Phyllachora, Uromyces,
Uredo, etc. are the important foliage pathogens. In dry deciduous forests, of the total
disease specimens from all the forest ecosystems, 0.60% was found infected with fungal
pathogens. Among the eight forest ecosystems studied, dry deciduous forests registered
the lowest fungal species richness indices as well as fungal species diversity indices
(Table 14). Among the 16 pathogenic fungi, Colletotrichum sp. was the most abundant
pathogenic fungus in this ecosystem.
Table 14: Species richness and diversity indices of plant pathogenic fungi in the dry deciduous
forests
No. of
study
plots
Menhinick’s index (R2) Margalef’s index
(R1)
Simpson’s index Shannon index
(H’)
2 2.404163 4.089955 0.1118367347 2.413801
Forest plantations
Plantations of different forestry species have been raised through out the State. Tectona
grandis L.f., Eucalyptus tereticornis Smith, Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden,
Eucalyptus regnans Muell., Eucalyptus globulus Labill., Bombax ceiba L., Ceiba
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