fern-ecology
Fern ecology examines the environmental relationships, habitat requirements, and ecological roles of ferns within plant communities and ecosystems. Ferns are among the oldest vascular plant lineages and serve as important indicators of ecosystem health, moisture regimes, and disturbance history. Understanding fern ecology provides insight into how ancient plant groups persist, compete, and adapt across diverse environments, informing broader questions in plant community dynamics and conservation.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-05-08
Scientists discovered that a tropical fern hosts ten types of fungi living inside its tissues, and these fungi produce a rich mix of bioactive chemicals — some shared with the fern, others unique to the fungi — including one species with strong antibiotic activity against drug-resistant bacteria.
Ten genera of endophytic fungi were identified inside Tectaria coadunata using both physical examination and DNA-based methods, representing a highly diverse internal mycobiome for a fern.
Nine plant chemicals previously thought to belong to the fern were also found in its fungal tenants, suggesting the fungi may actually be the true producers of some 'plant' compounds.
Xylaria grammica showed the strongest antibiotic activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration of just 15.63 µg/mL against both Bacillus subtilis and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).