Most sources estimate that between 8,000 and 10,000 fungal species
cause plant diseases.
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"There are over 8,000 species of fungi that cause plant diseases
worldwide. Fungi are small, spore-bearing organisms that lack
chlorophyll and are therefore unable to produce their own food. Most
fungi are saprophytic; they feed on dead organic matter which they
help decompose. Others are parasitic; they live in association with a
host plant and cause disease."
University of Georgia at Athens: Introduction to the Fungi
http://www.plant.uga.edu/Extension/fungi/fungiintro.html
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"Some 8,000 species of fungi are capable of causing disease in healthy
plants. In contrast only some 150 are capable of causing disease
(mycosis) in man and animals by tissue invasion."
University of Leeds: Diseases of Humans and Animals caused by Fungi
http://www.bmb.leeds.ac.uk/mbiology/ug/ugteach/micr1010/pdf/MICR1010medical_02.pdf
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"There are more than 8,000 species of fungi known to be pathogenic on
plants but only about 80 can infect tomato, among which fewer than 12
are economically serious. (Of course, even one economically serious
pathogen can put a grower or industry out of business.) Similar
pathogenic specialization exists in an estimated 180 species of
bacteria and 1,200 viruses able to infect plants, and 500 species of
nematodes able to parasitize plants."
BioTech Knowledge: Plant Pathogens: Fungi, Bacteria, and Viruses
http://www.biotechknowledge.com/BIOTECH/knowcenter.nsf/0/29799E76BC3CB86086256AF600526505?OpenDocument
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"There are more than 100,000 species of fungi, about 8,000 of which
cause plant diseases.
Source: Rodale Garden Books"
Boston Gardens: Trivia
http://www.bostongardens.com/bostongardens/list.cfm?catid=8&webid=1
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"Most of the more than 100,000 fungus species known are strictly
saprophytic, that is, they live on dead organic matter which they help
to decompose. Some, about 50 species, cause diseases in humans and
about as many cause diseases in animals, most of them superficial
disease of the skin. More than 10,000 species of fungi, however, can
cause diseases in plants. All plants are attacked by some kinds of
fungi and each of the parasitic fungi can attack one or many kinds of
plants.
[Source of data: Agrios, G. N. 1997. Plant disease caused by fungi. in
Plant Pathology, pp. 245-406. Academic Press, SanDiego, CA, U.S.A.]"
The British and International Golf Greenskeepers Association
http://www.bigga.org.uk/greenkeeper/viewstory.php?id=281
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"Fungal Feeding Habits (Alexopoulos et al., 1996)
- Saprophytic (>100,000 species) - live on dead organic matter.
- Human parasitic (50 species)- Cause diseases in humans.
- Animal parasitic (50 species) - cause diseases in animals
other than human.
- Plant parasitic (>10,000 species) - cause diseases in plants.
[Source of data: Alexopoulos, C. J., C. W. Mims, and M. Blackwell.
1996. Introductory Mycology, 4th Ed. Wiley, New York.]"
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
http://agroecology.ifas.ufl.edu/Fungus.htm
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Google search strategy:
Google Web Search: "500..50000 species of fungi" plant diseases
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=%22500..50000+species+of+fungi%22+plant+diseases
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I hope this information is helpful. If anything is unclear, or if a
link doesn't work for you, please request clarification; I'll gladly
offer further assistance before you rate my answer.
Best regards,
pinkfreud |
