A Study of Fungal Galls and Ambrosia

Abstract

Gall is an outburst of tumourous out growth induced by various biological and physiological agents. Dispersal of plant galls whether passive or active, is greatly influenced by geographical routes or barriers. Routes i.e. plants favour dispersal and provide access to new areas. But the barriers i.e. insects or fungi limit dispersal of galls. So the plant galls biogeography is restricted and limited to certain areas only. Dispersal, population size and reproductive potentials are parts of ecological valence of the plants or animal. The ecological valence is a measure of the reaction of the species to the environmental influences. For the galls the ecological valence is narrow and they are stenotypes, occur under only well defined, limited set of conditions, such a species is too specialized to occur elsewhere. The fungal gall is unique when compare to insect gall. The present papers highlight the association and interlinking phenomenon of fungus in plant galls.