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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Restricted Microbial Presence, Activity, And Community Structuring Within Dry Valley Soils Of Antarctica, Scott Fillerup George
Restricted Microbial Presence, Activity, And Community Structuring Within Dry Valley Soils Of Antarctica, Scott Fillerup George
Theses and Dissertations
The McMurdo Dry Valley region is the largest ice-free area of Antarctica. Harsh abiotic conditions of the polar desert ecosystem, including extreme cold, aridity, and limited nutrient availability select for unique taxa. The comparatively simple terrestrial ecosystem is well-suited for investigating edaphic influences on microbial presence, activity, and community structuring. The Dry Valleys are viewed as a useful analog for Mars astrobiology investigations. However, most biotic investigations have been focused on lower elevations, where an understanding of edaphic effects on microbial communities within its generally more favorable conditions has emerged. Transiently wetted Dry Valley water tracks may be analogous to …
Saprotrophy Among Endophytic Fungi, Emily Marissa Weatherhead
Saprotrophy Among Endophytic Fungi, Emily Marissa Weatherhead
Theses and Dissertations
Endophytic fungi have been found in every terrestrial plant investigated thus far. They can receive nutritional benefits from their host tissues. Two major modes of nutrition for endophytic fungi include biotrophy and saprotrophy. In chapter 1, I set out to determine whether endophytic fungi isolated from Quercus gambelii in Utah, USA were capable of saprotrophy and, if some were, how much variation in saprotrophic ability exists among them. Because saprotrophy requires moisture and, in Utah, moisture is largely unavailable outside winter and early spring, in chapter 2 I set out to determine if any of our isolated endophytic fungi were …