DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Ecological and Evolutionary Implications of Rodent-mediated Spore Dispersal of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi

论文研究：啮齿动物介导的丛枝菌根真菌孢子传播的生态和进化意义

• 批准号: 0308779
• 负责人: James Bever
• 金额: $ 1.2万
• 依托单位: Indiana University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-06-15 至 2005-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0308779&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Ecological; Evolutionary; Implications

The ecological importance of soil-borne organisms are becoming increasing appreciated by scientists. For example, symbiotic soil fungi called arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are required by most plants for nutrient uptake. Species composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities is thought to have great influence on the plant community. Therefore, understanding how different mycorrhizal fungal species are distributed in the soil, and what factors lead to these distributions, will contribute to a full understanding of the process of forest regeneration. While most species of mycorrhizal fungi are dispersed short-distances through root growth, a subset of mycorrhizal fungal species can be dispersed long distances by rodents. These species produce their spores in relatively large clusters, which are consumed by rodents and passed as living spores in their feces. My dissertation research aims to address the ecological and evolutionary importance of rodent-mediated spore dispersal to both fungi and to tropical-tree seedlings. Specifically, can rodent movement patterns be linked to the distribution of rodent-dispersed arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi? Also, do plants respond differently to rodent-dispersed mycorrhizal fungi than to fungal species incapable of rodent-mediated dispersal? Furthermore, what are the consequences of forest fragmentation on the dispersal of mycorrhizal fungi by rodents? Besides providing needed information on the importance of soil fungi and their dispersers to the regeneration of tropical forests, this project will facilitate the biological training of several Latin American students. This project has already allowed me the opportunity to co-direct the undergraduate thesis of a student from Colombia and will allow at least two Panamanian undergraduates the opportunity to learn techniques for studying both above- and belowground organisms.

土传生物的生态重要性正日益受到科学家的重视。例如，被称为丛枝菌根真菌的共生土壤真菌是大多数植物吸收养分所必需的。丛枝菌根真菌群落的物种组成被认为对植物群落有很大影响。因此，了解不同菌根真菌物种如何在土壤中分布，以及是什么因素导致这些分布，将有助于全面了解森林更新过程。虽然大多数菌根真菌是通过根的生长短距离传播的，但有一小部分菌根真菌物种可以通过啮齿动物远距离传播。这些物种在相对较大的丛生孢子中产生孢子，这些孢子被啮齿动物消耗，并作为活孢子在它们的粪便中传播。本论文的研究目的是探讨啮齿动物介导的孢子传播对真菌和热带树苗的生态和进化重要性。具体地说，啮齿动物的运动模式是否与啮齿动物散布的丛枝菌根真菌的分布有关？此外，植物对啮齿动物散布的菌根真菌的反应与对不能由啮齿动物介导的散布的真菌物种的反应是否不同？此外，森林碎片化对啮齿动物菌根真菌的传播有何影响？除了就土壤真菌及其分散剂对热带森林更新的重要性提供必要的信息外，该项目还将促进对几名拉丁美洲学生的生物培训。这个项目已经让我有机会共同指导一名来自哥伦比亚的学生的本科论文，并将使至少两名巴拿马本科生有机会学习研究地上和地下生物体的技术。