Leaf epiphytic fungi

Phyllosphere fungi play a crucial role in plant health, making it essential to understand the factors that influence the structure and diversity of fungal communities in both leaf endophytic and epiphytic habitats. Despite their importance, the specific mechanisms that shape fungal communities in these leaf habitats remain poorly understood. We collected 231 leaf samples from nine sites in temperate grasslands of northern China, and explored the effect of abiotic environments and plant functional traits on the diversity and structure of phyllosphere fungi (endophytic and epiphytic) at the regional scale.