Plants cover a significant proportion of the land mass of the earth.
They are also an integral component of aquatic and marine ecosystems. The importance of plants in sustaining life on earth is obvious to all. Plants provide us with food, fiber, and the oxygen that we breathe. Each leaf, stem, or flower on every plant may be inhabited by a diverse assemblage of microorganisms, including filamentous fungi, yeasts, bacteria, and bacteriophages. These organisms can include both plant, animal, and human pathogens.