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.

科学家们对土壤传播生物的生态重要性越来越多。 例如，大多数植物需要营养摄取的共生土壤真菌，称为Arbuscular菌根真菌。 人们认为羊膜菌根真菌群落的物种组成对植物社区有很大影响。 因此，了解不同的菌根真菌物种是如何分布在土壤中的，以及哪些因素导致这些分布，将有助于对森林再生过程的充分理解。 虽然大多数菌根真菌是通过根生长分散的短距离，但啮齿动物可以长距离分散菌根真菌物种的一部分。 这些物种在相对较大的簇中产生孢子，这些簇被啮齿动物消耗，并作为粪便中的生物孢子经过。 我的论文研究旨在解决啮齿动物介导的孢子分散对真菌和热带树幼苗的生态和进化重要性。 具体而言，啮齿动物运动模式是否可以与啮齿动物分散的羊膜菌根真菌的分布相关？ 另外，植物对啮齿动物的菌根真菌的反应与对啮齿动物介导的散布能力的真菌物种的反应不同吗？ 此外，森林破碎对啮齿动物的菌根真菌的分散有何影响？ 除了提供有关土壤真菌及其分散剂对热带森林再生的重要性所需的信息外，该项目还将促进几位拉丁美洲学生的生物学培训。 该项目已经使我有机会与哥伦比亚的学生的本科论文进行指导，并将允许至少两个巴拿马大学的本科生学习学习技术以学习上层生物和地下生物体的技术。