← Elaine Ingham · Research and publications
Life on bark and stems
Plant surfaces host communities of organisms. Ingham and Moldenke examine this less familiar area of plant ecology.
Chapter published:
A world on the plant
The chapter examines the phyllosphere, including stem and trunk surfaces. It discusses microflora, microfauna and their feeding relationships, drawing also on knowledge of the rhizosphere. [1]
Different communities, research questions
The authors discuss organism functions on plant surfaces and relationships with wood-boring insects. Several functional interpretations are presented as hypotheses informed by studies of the root environment. [1]
Extending observation
In fields and forests, a plant’s ecology includes its surfaces. Systematic observation of bark and stems can raise questions about the organisms that establish there and the conditions favouring them.
A broader ecological view
The chapter expands discussion of food webs. It invites study of plants alongside their small inhabitants, keeping evidence from each environment distinct from hypotheses awaiting investigation.
Sources and references
- Ingham, E.R. & Moldenke, A.R. (1995). Microflora and Microfauna on Stems and Trunks: Diversity, Food Webs, and Effects on Plants. In B.L. Gartner (ed.), Plant Stems: Physiology and Functional Morphology, 241–256. Academic Press. DOI: 10.1016/B978-012276460-8/50013-8 Original publication and study record