Research
Fungal ecology in its broadest sense
Our research focuses on many unique dimensions of fungal ecology that can be broadly grouped into four research themes. Most of our work focuses on fungal biodiversity, ecosystem function, and responses to global change. An overview of our previous work is highlighted below. To learn about what is happening in the group today, see our other website pages and follow us on twitter.
Theme 1. SOIL BIODIVERSITY AND MICROBIOME FUNCTION
Forests are a massive carbon sink and home to hyper-diverse microbial communities. Each year, forests absorb 1/9th of all the carbon dioxide generated by humans. We rely on forests for carbon storage, but also timber, biomass, biodiversity, and cultural and artistic connection. Yet global forests are vulnerable to climate change, deforestration, and invasive species, and these pressures are only getting worse over time. This is why a major focus of our research agenda focuses on the links between soil microbiomes and emergent forest system functioning, especially forest demography (e.g. recruitment, growth, and death), nutrition, and belowground carbon cycling.
Ectomycorrhizal fungi are strong bio-indicators of forest productivity
Our recent research shows that ectomycorrhizal fungal biodiversity and function varies with forest composition and is coupled to forest tree growth across Europe.
Read the entire publication in ISME.
Fungal, not bacterial, composition & richness predicts European forest carbon storage.
Our recent research suggests that fungi, and in particular, tree-associted symbiotic guilds of ectomycorrhizal and endophytic taxa are strong predictors of variation in tree growth across Europe. Read the entire publication in Nature Communications.
Soil is home to 59% of species!
Our recent work published in PNAS shows that soil is the singular most biodiverse ecosystem on Earth.
We reviewed the literature and analyzed global datasets of species biodiversity from the simplest (viruses) to most complex organisms (mammals) to report the total biodiversity of most groups of life on Earth and what proportion lives in soil.
Read the entire paper in PNAS: Enumerating soil biodiversity
Learn more here about soil biodiversity in the news!
More than half of Earth's species live underground - Scientific American
Theme 2. MICROBIOMES AND GLOBAL CHANGE
Microbes are drivers of terrestrial ecosystem biogeochemistry. How they will respond to global changes will feedback to shape earth system functioning. Our research explores how biotic invasions, climate change, nitrogen pollution, and other aspects of global change affect forest fungi and the ecosystem processes they mediate.
This research spans scales from the individual site to global level. Our ultiamte goal is to better predict how fungi will respond to global change and in turn whole forest functioning.
Explore our publications on fungal responses to global change below (see our call for global collaboration in the banner above).
INVASIVE SPECIES
Impacts of Alliaria petiolata invasion on soil fungi and edaphics across the northeastern USA
Recovery of soil fungi and edaphics after Alliaria petiolata management
Response of non-native earthworms to invasive plant eradication
Thlaspi invasion in colorado mountains
Links between invasion and earthworm populations
CLIMATE WARMING
Impacts of soil warming and crossed N additions on soil fungal communities and functional genes
Impacts of plant invasion in a warmer, fertilized world
Changes in forest soil organic matter chemistry in response to warming and nitrogen additions
ATMOSPHERIC NITROGEN POLLUTION
Fungal responses to N deposition across the eastern USA
Impacts of soil warming and crossed N additions on soil fungal communities and functional genes
Impacts of plant invasion in a warmer, fertilized world
Typical forest soils where we expect ca. 25% of the carbon in the soil to come from fungal necromass. Ectomycorrhizal fungi are a major fraction of this biomass in temperate and boreal forests, so we are trying to link their growth, turnover, and death to soil carbon storage and plant productivity.
Theme 3. MICROBIAL-MEDIATED SOIL CARBON CARBON CYCLING
Microbial exudates and necromass build soil organic matter and their decomposition activities mineralize soil carbon. Microbial inputs constitute a major fraction of the total soil carbon and nitrogen pool. While the exact proportion of microbial versus plant derived soil carbon is up for debate, current estimates suggest ca. 50%. How microbial community variation contributes to soil organic carbon formation and loss is an important area of investigation understanding fundamental controls over land biogeochemistry, ecosystem modeling, and sustainable ecosystem management.
A review of microbial community features that constrain soil organic carbon formation
How fungi are linked to soil carbon stocks with root versus litter removal and additions
A review on the role of biotic interactions in shaping microbial carbon use efficiency
Theme 4. EVOLUTION OF MYCORRHIZAL SYMBIOSIS
Mycorrhizae are nearly everywhere plants grow. What sustains the symbiosis and what evolutionary and ecological factors contribute to variation in mycorrhizal fungal outcomes?
Sub-theme 1: The loss of mycorrhizae: Some plants have escaped this symbiosis. What are the ecological implications of this and how did it occur?
The role of indolic glucosinolates in maintaining the non-mycorrhizal nature of mustard plants
I am currently exploring how AMF can be used as a restoration tool to control invasion by non-native mustard plants. This work involves laboratory and field studies and will be published soon. Please stay tuned!
Arabidopsis plants inoculated with AMF that maintain the potential to produce indolic glucosinolates (left) and that have transformed to lack this capacity (right). AMF act parastically on Arabidopsis plants that cannot protect themselves by producing indolic glucosinolates.