Endophytic Fungal Species in Tropical Trees: A Review

Abstract

Pathogenic fungi are common in forest ecosystems which cause diseases and sometimes death of plants, while some fungi live inside trees harmlessly without causing issues. Sometimes, plants benefit from the presence of those endophytic fungi, such as gaining resistance to environmental stresses, protection from harmful pathogens etc. Numerous studies have been conducted on such relationships between endophytic fungi and short-term agricultural crops. However, such studies are rare in the literature on tropical tree species which bear timber and non-timber values. This study illustrates the studies conducted on endophytic fungi in tropical trees and explores the potential use of such fungi for obtaining benefits.