A5053699392- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Fungal Biology and Applications
- Plant and animal studies
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Thermochemical Biomass Conversion Processes
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Forest Management and Policy
- Nematode management and characterization studies
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Plant Pathogens and Resistance
- Plant responses to water stress
- Plant and fungal interactions
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen Removal
- Chemical synthesis and alkaloids
University of Kansas
2015-2025
Lincoln University
2018
The University of Texas at Austin
2010-2017
University of Guelph
2008-2013
Wetlands International
2007
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...
Summary 1. A major benefit of the mycorrhizal symbiosis is that it can protect plants from below‐ground enemies, such as pathogens. Previous studies have indicated plant identity (particularly differ in root system architecture) or fungal (fungi different families within Glomeromycota) determine degree protection infection by Here, we test combined effects and to assess if there a strong interaction between these two factors. 2. We paired one ( Setaria glauca , with finely branched Allium...
For microbial symbioses with plants, such as mycorrhizas, we typically quantify either the net effects of one partner on another or a single function symbiont provides. However, many provide multiple functions to plants that vary based species functional group, plant species, and environment. Here quantified relative contributions provided by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi symbiont‐mediated changes in biomass. We used two published data sets, measured (pathogen protection nutrient uptake)...
Global trade and the movement of people accelerate biological invasions by spreading species worldwide. Biosecurity measures seek to allow passenger movements while preventing incursions that could lead establishment unwanted pests, pathogens, weeds. However, few data exist evaluate whether changes in volumes, arrivals, biosecurity have altered rates nonnative over time. This is particularly true for which pose significant risks animal plant health are consequently a major focus efforts but...
Pyrogenic savannas with a tree-grassland 'matrix' experience frequent fires (i.e. every 1-3 yr). Aboveground responses to have been well studied, but of fungal litter decomposers, which directly affect fuels, remain poorly known. We hypothesized that each fire reorganizes belowground communities and slows decomposition, thereby influencing savanna fuel dynamics. In pine savanna, we established patches near away from pines were either burned or unburned in year. Within patches, assessed...
Plant interactions with soil biota could have a significant impact on plant successional trajectory by benefiting plants in particular stage over others. The influence of mutualists such as mycorrhizal fungi is thought to be an important feedback component, yet they shown benefits both early and late that either retard or accelerate succession. Here we first determine if arbuscular (AM) differ among three stages primary sand dune succession then alter growth from stages. We isolated AM...
Abstract Soil-borne pathogens structure plant communities, shaping their diversity, and through these effects may mediate responses to climate change disturbance. Little is known, however, about the environmental determinants of pathogen communities. Therefore, we explored impact gradients anthropogenic disturbance on root-associated in grasslands. We examined community two pathogenic groups—fungal oomycetes—in undisturbed anthropogenically disturbed grasslands across a natural precipitation...
Summary Novel associations between plants and pathogens can have serious impacts on managed natural ecosystems world‐wide. The introduction of alien increases the potential for biogeographically novel plant–pathogen to arise when are transmitted from native plant species vice versa. We quantified recorded in New Zealand over last 150 yr (fungi, oomycetes plasmodiophorids) vascular plants. examined extent which taxonomic similarity, pathogen traits, contact opportunity sampling effort could...
Differences in the arrival timing of plants and soil biota may result different plant communities through priority effects, potentially affecting success native vs. exotic plants, but experimental evidence is largely lacking. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to investigate whether assembly history fungal root endophytes could interact influence emergence biomass. introduced grass species eight from one three land-use types (undisturbed, disturbed, or pasture sites Florida scrubland)...
The use of perennial crop species in agricultural systems may increase ecosystem services and sustainability. Because soil microbial communities play a major role many processes on which sustainability depend, characterization community structure novel is necessary to understand potential shifts function responses. Here, we characterized fungal composition at two depths (0-10 10-30 cm) replicated, long-term plots containing one three different cropping systems: tilled three-crop rotation...
Fire alters microbial community composition, and is expected to increase in frequency due climate change. Testing whether microbes different ecosystems will respond similarly increased fire disturbance difficult though, because fires are often unpredictable hard manage. recurrent or pyrophilic ecosystems, however, may be useful models for testing the effects of frequent on microbes. We hypothesized that across would drive similar alterations fungal communities, including altering seasonal...
Abstract Human‐induced ecological boundaries, or anthropogenic ecotones, may arise where administrative boundaries meet on undeveloped lands. Landscape‐level processes related to factors such as fire, invasive species, grazing, resource extraction, wildlife, and water be affected due unique management strategies adopted by each unit. Over time, different can result in discernible differences (e.g., species composition soil characteristics). Thus, fragmentation the landscape correspond...
Forty percent of terrestrial ecosystems require recurrent fires driven by feedbacks between fire and plant fuels. The accumulation fine fuels in these play a key role intensity, which alters soil nutrients shapes microbial community responses to fire. Changes post-fire fuel production are well known feed back future fires, but decomposition new is poorly understood. Our study sought quantify how pre-fire loading influenced through abiotic properties, as fungal communities. Prior spring...
Many contemporary social and ecological challenges in forested ecosystems (climate change, invasive species, wildland-urban interface development, wildfires) span multiple jurisdictions are characterized by complex patterns of interdependencies. Increasing evidence suggests that interdependent risk can best be addressed working across boundaries (jurisdictional, scalar, expertise) sharing information cooperating management activities. Polycentric governance has emerged as a framework to...
Abstract Alien plant pathogens are a threat to native plants and increasingly integrating into plant–pathogen networks, but how these novel networks structured remains unclear. Theory predicts that antagonists likely be generalists, resulting in interaction with greater nestedness as well lower modularity specialization than networks. We tested predictions by quantifying associations between their alien using comprehensive database of plant–fungal New Zealand. compared the host ranges...