Ecophysiological responses of native and introduced coastal tree species parasitized by in Brunei.

Hemiparasitic commonly infects native host ( and ) and introduced host ( and ) species in threatened heath forests in Brunei. This study aims to investigate the impact of parasitism on the ecophysiology of these host species. This study addresses the research gap in understanding the ecophysiology of -host associations, particularly when native and introduced hosts were infected. We generated CO and light response curves to examine the effects of increasing CO and light levels of infected and uninfected hosts and examined gaseous exchange, mineral nutrients, and secondary bioactive compounds of host-parasite associations. Infected hosts were negatively impacted by as exhibited in the CO and light response curves, with -native host association performing better than introduced species. There were no significant differences in photosynthetic parameters between infected and uninfected hosts, except in . Certain nutrient contents showed significant differences, but total N, Ca, and K in uninfected hosts were similar to infected hosts. Total phenols and tannins were significantly higher in introduced hosts than native hosts. Our findings asserted that this hemiparasitic vine relies on both its photosynthetic efficiency and nutrient acquisition from its hosts. The parasitism did not significantly hinder the ecophysiological performance of infected hosts, suggesting a plausible co-existence between the hosts and . This study provides essential ecophysiological information for future research on how can establish itself without negatively impacting the co-habitating native hosts.