Fungi in the USA with Michelle A. Jusino and Elena Karlsen-Ayala

Описание: This webinar consists of 2 presentations:

🍄 Responses of ectomycorrhizal fungi to elevated soil salinity

Increased salt intrusion either from sea level rise or storm surge in coastal areas, winter de-icing salt applications, or agricultural runoff is a growing threat for plant communities. Increased salinity in the soil can have negative consequences for salt sensitive plant communities and the soil microbial communities, such as ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM), that support them. Many studies focus on inoculations of specific salt tolerant fungi and how they improve plant’s tolerance to salt stress, yet little is known about how resilient entire ECM communities are to increase salinity. Using the south Florida pine rocklands, a critically endangered ecosystem in Florida as a case study, this talk will focus on how ECM communities from mature pine trees and seedlings respond to increased salinity. I will discuss what implications this has for broader ecosystem health and conservation efforts in the rocklands and in other low-lying, high salt environments.

🍄 The golden oyster mushroom and responses of ectomycorrhizal fungi to elevated soil salinity

The golden oyster mushroom (Pleurotus citrinopileatus) is a popular edible fungus that has recently emerged as an invasive species in North American forests. Building on recent work published in Current Biology, this talk will summarize evidence that golden oyster mushrooms are spreading rapidly and are associated with reduced native fungal diversity on colonized trees. I will
also highlight ongoing efforts to develop molecular tools for detection and monitoring of this species, and discuss future research directions needed to assess ecological impacts and inform management.