Bacterial populations on the phyllosphere of Mediterranean plants: influence of leaf age and leaf surface

Abstract

In the present study, we estimated the size of phyllosphere bacterial populations in young and mature leaves from the same plants and also assessed the population abundance on adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces. We examined eight perennial species naturally occurring in the same area, in Halkidiki (northern Greece). They are BoldItalic and BoldItalic (evergreen sclerophyllous species), BoldItalic and BoldItalic (drought semideciduous species), and BoldItalic and BoldItalic (nonwoody perennial species). Young and mature leaves were examined from the four sclerophyllous evergreen species for their epiphytic bacterial colonization, and it was found that mature leaves were highly populated compared to the younger ones except in BoldItalic. As regards the bacterial colonization of the two leaf surfaces, no differences were found in most species except for the drought semideciduous type where the two leaf surfaces behaved differently.

Key words： bacterial population; phyllosphere; leaf surface; leaf age; leaf imprints; Mediterranean plants

Acknowledgements

The first author received a grant support from the State Scholarships Foundation (No. 585 DAC 1999-2000, IKY), Greece. He also acknowledges Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal for granting him a study leave. This project was also supported by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology, Ministry of Development, Greece (No. 01 ED 317).

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