Appendix A. Site descriptions for eight arctic, boreal, temperate, and tropical localities surveyed for endophytic fungi. Foliage samples were collected from representative host plants in eight localities in July 2003 (arctic and boreal sites), April 2003–July 2005 (temperate sites), and during the wet and dry seasons at the tropical site in 2000–2002.
Arctic tundra. The site at Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada (IQN; 63.8°N, 68.5°W; elev. 34 m) consists of open tundra dominated by low-growing Cassiope tetragona (Ericaceae) and Dryas integrifolia (Rosaceae). The area has an average temperature of -9.8°C, with annual precipitation of 412 mm.
Northern boreal forest. The site near Schefferville, Québec, Canada (SHQ; 54.8°N, 66.8°W; elev. 521 m) consists of Picea mariana (Pinaceae) forest and bogs in the taiga shield ecozone. The understory consists of dense lichen mats (primarily Cladonia rangifera), mosses (especially Pleurozium schreberi, Polytrichum commune, and Sphagnum sp.), lycophytes (primarily Huperzia selago), horsetails (Equisetum arvense) and small angiosperms (Betula nana, and numerous ericaceous species, including Empetrum nigrum, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Kalmia angustifolia, and Ledum groenlandicum). The area receives 730 mm of precipitation annually with an average temperature of -4°C.
Southern boreal forest. The site at Œle Niapiskau, Mingan Archipelago, Québec, Canada (MAQ; 50.3°N, 63.6°W; elev. <10 m) consists of southern, coastal boreal forest dominated by Picea mariana and Abies balsamea with occasional individuals of P. glauca. The understory is similar to the Schefferville site. Juniperus horizontalis (Cupressaceae) and Dryas integrifolia are common on exposed, rocky areas adjacent to the coast. The area has an average temperature of 5°C and receives 1277 mm of precipitation annually.
The site at Moisie, Québec, Canada (MRQ; 50.2°N, 66.1°W; elev. 17 m) consists of dense stands of Pinus banksiana growing in sandy soil. The area has an average temperature of 0.9°C and receives 1156 mm of precipitation annually.
Temperate semi-deciduous forest. Duke Forest, near Durham, North Carolina, USA (DNC; 35.6°N, 79.1°W; elev. 120 m) comprises 7900 acres of mixed hardwood and pine stands spanning four counties (Durham, Orange, Chatham, and Alamance) in the eastern Piedmont of North Carolina. Common woody species include Pinus taeda, Juniperus virginiana, Acer spp., Magnolia spp., Liquidambar styraciflua, Carya spp., Ilex opaca, Quercus spp., Cornus florida, and the common undestory fern, Polystichum acrostichoides. The area has a mean annual temperature of 15.5°C and receives 1140 mm of precipitation annually.
Upland Sonoran Desert. The site in Tucson, AZ, USA (TAZ; 35.6°N, 79.1°W, elev. 789 m) consists of the Arboretum at the campus of the University of Arizona, which contains both native and non-native plants. The area has a mean annual temperature of 20.2°C and receives 301 mm of precipitation annually.
Southwestern mid-elevation coniferous forest. The site at Bear Canyon, Santa Catalina Mountains, near Tucson, AZ, USA (SCA; 32.3°N, 110.7°W; elev. 1768 m) consists of Pinus ponderosa forest with a mixed understory of Quercus gambelii, Garrya wrightii, Juniperus deppeana, and Rhamnus crocea. The area averages ca. 5°C lower than the Tucson site, and receives approximately 600 mm of precipitation annually.
Tropical moist forest. Barro Colorado Island, Panama (BCI; 9.9°N, 79°51'W; elev. 86 m) is a 1500 ha island isolated from contiguous forest during construction of the Panama Canal (1911–1914). The flora of BCI is diverse, comprising at least 1,369 species of vascular plants that are native or have been naturalized to the island (see Leigh 1999 for a full description). In late secondary forest, where the present study was conducted, 137 species of woody plants >2.5 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) occur per ha (cited in Leigh 1999). The island has a mean annual temperature of 27°C and receives 2600 mm of precipitation annually.
LITERATURE CITED
Leigh, E.G., Jr. 1999. Tropical forest ecology. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.