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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Biological Soil Crusts Of The Great Plains: A Review, Steven D. Warren, Roger Rosentreter, Nicole Pietrasiak
Biological Soil Crusts Of The Great Plains: A Review, Steven D. Warren, Roger Rosentreter, Nicole Pietrasiak
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Biological soil crusts (BSCs), or biocrusts, are composed of fungi, bacteria, algae, and bryophytes (mosses, etc.) that occupy bare soil, entwining soil particles with filaments or rootlike structures and/or gluing them together with polysaccharide exudates to form a consolidated surface crust that stabilizes the soil against erosion. BSCs are common in arid and semiarid regions where vascular plant cover is naturally sparse, maximizing the exposure of surface-dwelling organisms to direct sunlight. Although less prominent and less studied there, BSC organisms are also present in more mesic areas such as the Great Plains where they can be found in shortgrass and …
Native And Non-Native Ant Impacts On Native Fungi, Chloe Mokadam
Native And Non-Native Ant Impacts On Native Fungi, Chloe Mokadam
Biology Theses
Organisms produce weapons for defense against pathogens and competitors. In response, competitors and pathogens develop resistance to these weapons. However, when a species invades a new range, its “novel weapons” may be more effective against native species that did not co-evolve with them. Via specialized glands and microbial associates, ants produce antifungal weapons for defense against entomopathogenic fungi. However, these weapons may have unintended secondary effects on non-entomopathogenic, soil and seed-borne fungi. The antifungals of non-native ants may be novel weapons, with greater negative impacts on native fungi that have not co-evolved with them. This research aims to test the …
Effects Of Am Fungi From Conventional And No-Till Michigan Crop Fields On Plant And Soil Health, Derek Bennett
Effects Of Am Fungi From Conventional And No-Till Michigan Crop Fields On Plant And Soil Health, Derek Bennett
Masters Theses
Centuries of conventional till (CT) management in agriculture has depleted soil organic matter (SOM) by over 50%. While only comprising 5% in most soils, SOM provides soil with fertility and productivity. To compensate for SOM depletion, producers have been forced to increase their reliance on fertilizer and irrigation to maintain yields. In the coming decades, climate change is expected to challenge food production and threaten an already fragile system. With no remaining land left to cultivate, conservation management strategies such as no-till (NT) look to restore SOM and increase the resilience of food production for an ever growing, increasingly food …
The Possible Presence Of Mycorrhizae In The Chuckanut Marsh Wetland And The Lamentable Absence Of Personality In Scientific Communication, Evangeline Schmitt
The Possible Presence Of Mycorrhizae In The Chuckanut Marsh Wetland And The Lamentable Absence Of Personality In Scientific Communication, Evangeline Schmitt
WWU Honors College Senior Projects
A surge in research about mycorrhizae over the past few decades has revealed mycorrhizal associations to be critical to plant ecosystems. They are present in over 90% of plant species and allow them to share nutrients and information through fungal mycelia. The question of how pervasive mycorrhizae are in different habitats receives ever-changing answers as research continues. In this literature review, I explore what mycorrhizal species are likely to be present in a local ecosystem with diverse plant communities: the Chuckanut marsh estuary. I explain how I cross-referenced a plant species list from a Chuckanut marsh characterization study with plant …
Culturable Root Endophyte Communities Are Shaped By Both Warming And Plant Host Identity In The Rocky Mountains, Usa, Kelly G. Lyons, M. Mann, Molly Lenihan, Olivia Roybal, Kelly Carroll, Kyle Reynoso, S. N. Kivlin, D. L. Taylor, J. A. Rudgers
Culturable Root Endophyte Communities Are Shaped By Both Warming And Plant Host Identity In The Rocky Mountains, Usa, Kelly G. Lyons, M. Mann, Molly Lenihan, Olivia Roybal, Kelly Carroll, Kyle Reynoso, S. N. Kivlin, D. L. Taylor, J. A. Rudgers
Biology Faculty Research
Understanding the biogeographic patterns of root-associated fungi and their sensitivity to temperature may improve predictions of future changes in terrestrial biodiversity and associated ecosystem processes, but data are currently limited. Anticipating change will require combining observational data, which predict how climatic factors limit current species distributions, with direct manipulations of climate, which can isolate responses to specific climate variables. Root endophytes are common symbionts of plants, particularly in arctic and alpine environments, yet their responses to climate warming are not resolved. Here, we directly cultured endophytic fungi from roots collected along altitudinal gradients in replicated mountain watersheds and from a …
Interactions With Soil Fungi Alter Density Dependence And Neighborhood Effects In A Locally Abundant Dipterocarp Species, R. Max Segnitz, Sabrina E. Russo, Kabir G. Peay
Interactions With Soil Fungi Alter Density Dependence And Neighborhood Effects In A Locally Abundant Dipterocarp Species, R. Max Segnitz, Sabrina E. Russo, Kabir G. Peay
School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Seedling recruitment can be strongly affected by the composition of nearby plant species. At the neighborhood scale (on the order of tens of meters), adult conspecifics can modify soil chemistry and the presence of host microbes (pathogens and mutualists) across their combined canopy area or rooting zones. At local or small spatial scales (on the order of one to few meters), conspecific seed or seedling density can influence the strength of intraspecific light and resource competition and also modify the density-dependent spread of natural enemies such as pathogens or invertebrate predators. Intrinsic correlation between proximity to adult conspecifics (i.e., recruitment …
Lichens And Biofilms: Common Collective Growth Imparts Similar Developmental Strategies, Erin C. Carr, Steven D. Harris, Joshua R. Herr, Wayne Riekhof
Lichens And Biofilms: Common Collective Growth Imparts Similar Developmental Strategies, Erin C. Carr, Steven D. Harris, Joshua R. Herr, Wayne Riekhof
Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications
Lichens are traditionally defined as a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. This union forms a unique structure called the thallus, which attaches to surfaces such as rocks and tree bark. Recent reports challenge the view that lichens are comprised of one fungus and one photobiont, and instead suggest that they are a consortium of microbes. Much of lichen biology remains unknown as most of our knowledge of lichens is limited to morphological characteristics with little to no functional analysis of lichen genes. However, lichens and biofilms share many similar physiological traits which when compared may assist in …