Microbial Ecology

, Volume 3, Issue 3, pp 231–239 | Cite as

Influence of heavy metal leaf contaminants on the in vitro growth of urban-tree phylloplane-fungi

  • William H. Smith
Article

Abstract

The surfaces of urban woody vegetation are contaminated with varying amounts of numerous metallic compounds, including Cd, Cu, Mn, Al, Cr, Ni, Fe, Pb, Na, and Zn. To examine the possibility that these metals may affect phylloplane fungi, the above cations were tested in vitro for their ability to influence the growth of numerous saprophytic and parasitic fungi isolated from the leaves of London plane trees. Considerable variation in growth inhibition by the metals was observed. GenerallyAureobasidium pullulans, Epicoccum sp., andPhialophora verrucosa were relatively tolerant;Gnomonia platani, Cladsporium sp., andPleurophomella sp. were intermediate; andPestalotiopsis andChaetomium sp. were relatively sensitive to the incorporation of certain metals into solid and liquid media. If similar growth inhibitions occur in nature, competitive abilities or population structures of plant surface microbes may be altered by surface metal contamination. Metals causing the greatest and broadest spectrum growth suppression included Ni, Zn, Pb, Al, Fe, and Mn.

Keywords

Heavy Metal Microbe Population Structure Liquid Medium Surface Metal 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag New York Inc. 1977

Authors and Affiliations

  • William H. Smith
    • 1
  1. 1.School of Forestry and Environmental StudiesYale UniversityNew Haven

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