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Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Doctoral Dissertations

Mycorrhizal fungi

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Biotic And Abiotic Drivers Of Plant Symbionts Determine Plant Performance, The Maintenance Of Diversity, And Response To Global Change, Jeremiah A. Henning May 2017

Biotic And Abiotic Drivers Of Plant Symbionts Determine Plant Performance, The Maintenance Of Diversity, And Response To Global Change, Jeremiah A. Henning

Doctoral Dissertations

Interactions among organisms regulate the structure and function of ecosystems and the response of ecosystems to global change. The outcome of species interactions is shaped by the partners involved in the interaction and the climate contexts of the systems in which they reside. Global change is altering the distributions of organisms as well as the climate contexts of the systems they reside within, shifting the biotic and abiotic factors shaping species interactions. Thus, predicting the response of ecosystem structure and function to global change remains unresolved. For my dissertation, I explored how the interactions among plants and their mutualistic communities …


Plant-Microbe Interactions Influence Ecosystem Processes: The Role Of Roots And Mycorrhizal Fungal Hyphae On Terrestrial Carbon Dynamics, Jessica Andrea Moore May 2016

Plant-Microbe Interactions Influence Ecosystem Processes: The Role Of Roots And Mycorrhizal Fungal Hyphae On Terrestrial Carbon Dynamics, Jessica Andrea Moore

Doctoral Dissertations

Plant-microbe interactions shape ecosystem processes such as productivity and decomposition of organic matter. Plants interact with mycorrhizal fungal hyphae to acquire nutrients from soil in exchange for plant-assimilated carbon. The mycorrhizal interaction is therefore a key influence on ecosystem carbon dynamics. Mycorrhizal fungi are key players in soil carbon cycling as they stimulate plants to allocate carbon belowground, and mycorrhizal fungal hyphae interact with microbial decomposers of soil carbon. However, there are few studies on mycorrhizal fungal hyphal interactions with roots and soil organisms in light of soil carbon accrual and release, important ecosystem processes. In my doctoral research, I …


Mechanisms Of Nutrient Limitation And Nutrient Acquisition In Managed And Unmanaged Forest Ecosystems, Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur May 2013

Mechanisms Of Nutrient Limitation And Nutrient Acquisition In Managed And Unmanaged Forest Ecosystems, Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur

Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding the interactions between global change, human and natural disturbances, and other factors on biogeochemical processes in forests is necessary to ensure the sustainability of forest management. Here I report the results of several investigations into nutrient acquisition processes in the forests of New Hampshire. I begin with a meta-analysis of fertilization studies showing that phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca) as well as nitrogen (N) may limit primary production in deciduous forests of the region. Because these limiting nutrients are all removed from the ecosystem when trees are harvested, I compared nutrient budgets under a range of harvesting scenarios with …