A5041360961- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Fungal Biology and Applications
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis
- Plant responses to elevated CO2
- Genetically Modified Organisms Research
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Plant and fungal interactions
- Nematode management and characterization studies
- Agronomic Practices and Intercropping Systems
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
- Plant tissue culture and regeneration
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity
- Plant nutrient uptake and metabolism
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Plant Pathogens and Resistance
American University of Sharjah
2024
University of British Columbia
2013-2022
Okanagan University College
2011-2021
Kelowna General Hospital
2011-2016
Google (United States)
2015
University of Guelph
2002-2012
The University of Texas at Austin
2012
China Agricultural University
2011
University of Manitoba
2007
University of California, Riverside
2005
Summary Plant–soil feedbacks is becoming an important concept for explaining vegetation dynamics, the invasiveness of introduced exotic species in new habitats and how terrestrial ecosystems respond to global land use climate change. Using a conceptual model, we show critical alterations plant–soil feedback interactions can change assemblage plant communities. We highlight recent advances, define terms identify future challenges this area research discuss variations strengths directions...
High variability in plant-growth response to the presence of different mycorrhizal fungi can be a major determinant local plant species diversity. Multiple arbuscular coexist terrestrial ecosystems, and co-occurring plants differ their colonization by these fungi. However, range responses that occur within communities has not been determined. In present study, I crossed large number fungal co-occur determine exist an ecosystem. also exotic isolates vs. whether growth differs when using...
Ecology seeks to explain species coexistence and its functional consequences, but experimental tests of mechanisms that simultaneously account for both processes are difficult. We used an mycorrhizal plant system test whether similarity among closely related (phylogenetic conservatism) can drive community assembly ecosystem functioning. Communities were constructed with the same number fungal species, after 1 year growth, realized richness was highest where starting more distantly each...
The impact of exotic species on native organisms is widely acknowledged, but poorly understood. Very few studies have empirically investigated how invading plants may alter delicate ecological interactions among resident in the invaded range. We present novel evidence that antifungal phytochemistry invasive plant, Alliaria petiolata, a European invader North American forests, suppresses plant growth by disrupting mutualistic associations between canopy tree seedlings and belowground...
Abstract Introduced plant populations lose interactions with enemies, mutualists and competitors from their native ranges, gain new species, under abiotic conditions. From a biogeographical perspective, differences in the assemblage of interacting as well conditions, may explain demographic success introduced relative to conspecifics range. Within invaded communities, conditions experienced by invader influence both its effects on biodiversity. Here, we examine indirect involving plants,...
Feedback with soil biota is an important determinant of terrestrial plant diversity. However, the factors regulating plant-soil feedback, which varies from positive to negative among species, remain uncertain. In a large-scale study involving 55 species and 550 populations North American trees, type mycorrhizal association explained much variation in feedbacks. collected beneath conspecifics, arbuscular trees experienced whereas ectomycorrhizal displayed feedback. Additionally, exhibited...
Ecosystem productivity commonly increases asymptotically with plant species diversity, and determining the mechanisms responsible for this well-known pattern is essential to predict potential changes in ecosystem ongoing loss. Previous studies attributed asymptotic diversity-productivity competition differential resource use (e.g., niche complementarity). Using an analytical model a series of experiments, we demonstrate theoretically empirically that host-specific soil microbes can be major...
Why some invasive plant species transmogrify from weak competitors at home to strong abroad remains one of the most elusive questions in ecology. Some evidence suggests that disproportionately high densities invaders are due release biochemicals novel, and therefore harmful, naïve organisms their new range. So far, such has been restricted direct phytotoxic effects plants on other plants. Here we found North America's aggressive undisturbed forest understories, Alliaria petiolata (garlic...
As exotic plant species invade ecosystems, ecologists have been attempting to assess the effects of these invasions on native communities and determine what factors influence invasion processes. Although much this work has focused aboveground flora fauna, structurally functionally diverse soil also can respond mediate invasions. In numerous caused major shifts in composition function communities. Soil organisms, such as pathogenic or mutualistic fungi, direct establishment, growth, biotic...
The factors that influence a plant's ability to invade are not well understood. Many mechanisms involved and the relative importance of different depends on specific invasion. Here we consider one factor—mycorrhizal symbioses. These symbioses ubiquitous interactions involving plants soil fungi most terrestrial ecosystems. We develop conceptual framework for considering mycorrhizal in plant species invasions. critical aspects this are: (a) status (b) growth response invading plant, (c)...
Ecological theory predicts a positive and asymptotic relationship between plant diversity ecosystem productivity based on the ability of more diverse communities to use limiting resources fully. This is supported by recent empirical evidence. Additionally, in natural ecosystems, often function presence composition mycorrhizal associations. Yet, effect fungi has not been investigated. We predict that AMF, will saturate at lower levels species richness because AMF increase utilize nutrient...
Ecology Letters (2011) 14: 36–41 One robust result from many small-scale experiments has been that plant community productivity often increases with increasing diversity. Most frequently, resource-based or competitive interactions are thought to drive this positive diversity–productivity relationship. Here, we ask whether suppression of by soil fungal pathogens might also a We created assemblages varied in diversity and crossed ± fungicide treatment. In control (non-fungicide treated) there...
Several hypotheses proposed to explain the success of introduced species focus on altered interspecific interactions. One most prominent, Enemy Release Hypothesis, posits that invading benefit compared their native counterparts if they lose herbivores and pathogens during invasion process. We previously reported a common garden experiment (from 2002) in which we levels herbivory between 30 taxonomically paired old-field plants. In this phylogenetically controlled comparison, herbivore damage...
The search for predictions of species diversity across environmental gradients has challenged ecologists decades. humped-back model (HBM) suggests that plant peaks at intermediate productivity; low productivity few can tolerate the stresses, and high a highly competitive dominate. Over time HBM become increasingly controversial, recent studies claim to have refuted it. Here, by using data from coordinated surveys conducted throughout grasslands worldwide comprising wide range site...
The diversity of functional and life-history traits organisms depends on adaptation as well the legacy shared ancestry. Although evolution in macro-organisms is studied, relatively little known about character micro-organisms. Here, we surveyed an ancient ecologically important group microbial plant symbionts, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, tested hypotheses traits. Variation extent root soil colonization by AM fungi constrained to a few nodes basal most diverse groups within phylum,...