In 2010, the invasive pathogen Austropuccinia psidii was detected in Australia, posing a threat to vegetation communities containing susceptible Myrtaceae species. A large-scale field experiment tested the direct and indirect effects resulting from the infection of two highly susceptible rainforest species, Rhodamnia rubescens and Rhodomyrtus psidioides. Community-level impacts were assessed at three sites per study species in New South Wales, Australia. For R. rubescens, 20 plots containing an adult tree each were established per site. Each plot was designated one of four treatments: fungicide spray of the understorey only, canopy only, both or none (control). For R. psidioides, 10 plots containing only seedlings were established per site, with each plot designated to one of two treatments: fungicide spray or no spray (control). Richness and abundance of co-occurring understorey species were assessed every 4 months for a 24-month period, and changes in canopy transparency were assessed for R. rubescens. The R. rubescens control canopy plots were found to have greater canopy transparency (direct effect) which caused a reduction in the understorey richness and total abundance (indirect effects). For treated canopy plots, richness was similar but total abundance increased in fungicide treated understorey plots, suggesting a direct effect of the pathogen on understorey species. Understorey plots treated with fungicide had significantly greater abundance of R. rubescens and R. psidioides seedlings compared to control plots. This study shows that in a short time period, infection by an invasive fungal pathogen has resulted in changes in species richness and abundance in Australian rainforest communities.

2010年，在澳大利亚发现了侵入性病原体澳洲紫薇（Austropuccinia psidii），对含有易感桃金娘科物种的植被群落构成了威胁。一项大规模的野外实验测试了两种高度易感的热带雨林物种罗氏罗汉果和桃金娘的感染所造成的直接和间接影响。在澳大利亚新南威尔士州，每个研究物种在三个地点评估了社区一级的影响。对于红景天，每个地点均建立了20个包含成年树的地块。每个地块都被指定为四种处理方法之一：仅对底层的杀菌剂喷雾，仅对冠层的杀菌剂喷雾，或两者都不做（对照）。对于拟南芥，每个地点建立了10个仅包含幼苗的样地，每个样地指定为两种处理方法之一：杀菌剂喷雾或不喷雾（对照）。在接下来的24个月中，每4个月评估一次同时发生的林下物种的丰富度和丰度，并评估红景天的冠层透明度变化。的R.冬凌草发现控制篷地块为具有导致在下层的丰富性和总丰度（间接影响）的减少更大的天篷透明度（直接作用）。对于经处理的冠层地块，其丰度相似，但经杀菌剂处理的下层地块的总丰度增加，表明病原体对下层物种具有直接影响。用杀菌剂处理的地下层土地的丰度明显更高R.冬凌草和R. psidioides幼苗相比的对照土地。这项研究表明，在短时间内，入侵性真菌病原体的感染已导致澳大利亚雨林社区物种丰富度和丰度发生变化。