Preliminary endophytic fungi richness index of the Rio de Janeiro restinga

Abstract

The preservation of the Restinga biome is of great importance, both ecologically and socially, and this ecosystem is threatened mainly by anthropic actions, with little known about its fungal diversity. Endophytic fungi, besides contributing to the prospecting of new efficient compounds in industry and agriculture, can indicate the richness and abundance of species in the areas where they are found. Thus, the objective of this work was to carry out an inventory of endophytic fungi prospecting from plant species in the Açu, Gargaú, Grussaí, and Jurubatiba restingas, located in the north of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Leaves of 78 plant species were collected, from which 1787 isolates were obtained in culture medium, identified in 36 different genera. After analyzing the data of richness and abundance of the fungi found, the biodiversity of the four restingas was estimated, indicating a high diversity in the ecosystem, being the restinga of Açu the most preserved and the restinga of Gargaú the most degraded when evaluated by Margalef Richness Index.