Authors
Franklin Arboleda
Harry Charles Evans Principal Scientific Officer and Research Group Manager, CABI Europe.
Frank Bungartz Theme Leader Biodiversity Assessment & Lichenologist, Charles Darwin Foundation, Galapagos, Ecuador.
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Phytopathogenic Fungi
Pathogens known to cause diseases of Galapagos plants included in this checklist are so-called phytopathogenic fungi. Strictly speaking some are not true fungi, but have a similar growth form and ecology as true fungi.
Some phytopathogenic fungi are endemic to Galapagos infecting only endemic or native plants.
However, with the introduction of a wide variety of food crops new species of phytopathogenic fungi have also arrived in the archipelago.
These newly introduced species are often rather host specific, adapted to infect a particular plant species only. Generalists are relatively rare but have the potential to cause significant damage among the native flora.
Even species expected not switch hosts can potentially be problematic: if they were introduced with a host plant that is a close relative of a Galapagos native it is possible that these pathogens may also infect the native species. Native species that were protected against diseases by the extreme geographical isolation of the archipelago are thus now subjected to new pathogens.
Nevertheless, specific pathogens that only infect a particular plant can potentially be also very useful. If these species only infect a particular invasive plant they could potentially be used as a very effective biological control agent for this particular invasive species.
Currently a rust fungus is being investigated for biological control of the extremely invasive blackberry (Rubus nivea), a plant that is one of the worst transformers of the natural vegetation of the Galapagos highlands.
This checklist of phytopathogenic fungi does not include other plant pathogens or parasites: Viruses, protozoans and bacteria that infect plants remain largely unknown, and invertebrates feeding on plants, although often also causing significant damage, are not necessarily parasites of a single host species only. Their ecological role is generally more complex. Some species for example have larvae that are plant parasites, but their adults no longer feed on the host plant.
Authors: Paul Cannon, Franklin Arboleda, Harry Charles Evans, Frank Bungartz.
Names of taxa included: 79 total (42 accepted, 32 unidentified taxon, 2 doubtful, 3 preliminary identification).
Origin of the taxa included: 15 accidental, 12 cultivated, 20 endemic, 25 indigenous, 1 questionable endemic.
Phytopathogenic Fungi Species Checklist
Domain Eukaryota
Kingdom Chromalveolata
Division Oomycota
Class Oomycetes
Order Perenosporales
Kingdom Fungi
Division Ascomycota
Class Dothideomycetes
Order Capnodiales
Order Dothideales
Order Hysteriales
Order Incertae sedis
Order Meliolales
Order Pleosporales
Class Eurotiomycetes
Order Chaetothyriales
Class Incertae sedis
Order Incertae sedis
Class Lecanoromycetes
Order Incertae sedis
Class Leotiomycetes
Order Erysphales
Class Sordariomycetes
Order Diaporthales
Order Hypocreales
Order Incertae sedis
Order Phyllachorales
Order Xylariales
Division Basidiomycota
Class Exobasidiomycetes
Order Exobasidiales
Class Pucciniomycetes
Order Pucciniales
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This list should be cited as follows: