ABSTRACT
The role of fungi in primary production goes beyond making nutrients available to plants. In the form of lichens, the whole symbiotic association between fungi, algae, and bacteria is involved in primary production, where the fungal partner acts as a supportive network for photosynthetically active algae and bacteria. There are intimate associations between primary producers and fungi, of which many are symbiotic. These include mycorrhizae associated with plant roots and endophytes, which can occur in multiple plant parts. Such interactions enhance nutrient availability for primary production; confer plant tolerance to drought, salt, and heavy metals; and provide a degree of protection from pathogenic fungi and bacteria and herbivory.
