Taxonomic and ecological studies on plant parasitic fungi especially on woody plants

Abstract

　This paper reviews studies on the taxonomy and ecology of parasitic fungi, especially those parasitic on woody plants, conducted by the author. These studies cover the following five subjects: 1) evaluation of taxonomic criteria of rust fungi at the species level, and the revision of taxonomy in several groups of rust fungi; 2) elucidation of the heteroecism of rust fungi; 3) the elucidation of the conditions determining the germination type of basidiospores in rust fungi, and nuclear behavior in germinating basidiospores; 4) taxonomy and identification of ascomyceteous and coelomyceteous parasitic fungi on woody plants; and 5) elucidation of the ecology and function of ascomyceteous and coelomyceteous parasitic fungi on woody plants. In rust fungi, taxonomic revisions based on several new taxonomic criteria are described, particularly with respect to melampsoraceous rust groups. The positive results of experiments on heteroecism are also summarized. In ascomyceteous and coelomyceteous parasitic fungi on woody plants, studies on parasitic fungi on fagaceous trees, blue stain fungi, and endophytic fungi are reviewed. The necessity of further experiments to clarify the various functions of parasitic fungi is emphasized for the preservation of healthy forest ecosystems.