Collaborative Research: Dispersal Limitation as a Primary Factor in Determining Ectomycorrhizal Community Structure

合作研究：扩散限制是决定外生菌根群落结构的主要因素

• 批准号: 0742868
• 负责人: Thomas Bruns
• 金额: $ 34.39万
• 依托单位: University of California-Berkeley
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-03-15 至 2012-02-29
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0742868&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Dispersal; Limitation; Primary

Ectomycorrhizal fungi are obligate mutualists with temperate forest trees such as pines, oaks, aspens, and birch. These fungi provide mineral nutrients to the trees in exchange for sugars, and trees require them for growth and survival. Following severe disturbance such as forest fires or logging, trees need to reestablish their relationships with mycorrhizal fungi in order to survive. Prior work has shown that these fungi arrive in an ordered sequence, or "succession", after such disturbances. A new model is proposed to explain this observed pattern through differences in spore dispersal and competitive interactions among mycorrhizal fungi. Four key predictions of this model concerning limitations to aerial spore dispersal and effect of tree root density on fungal competition will be tested through a combination of field sampling and manipulative growth-chamber experiments. The broader impacts of this work are that it will help us understand an essential biotic process necessary for tree establishment, and will build a foundation of basic ecological knowledge for an important group of understudied organisms. Training of graduate and undergraduate students will be an important component of this research. In addition this work takes advantage of its location within Point Reyes National Seashore by feeding back into management decisions within the park and through outreach efforts directed towards public education.

外生菌根真菌与温带森林树木如松树、橡树、白杨和桦树是专性互利共生者。 这些真菌为树木提供矿物质营养，以换取糖，树木需要它们来生长和生存。 在森林火灾或伐木等严重干扰后，树木需要重新建立与菌根真菌的关系才能生存。 之前的工作表明，这些真菌在受到干扰后会按照有序的顺序或“继承”到达。 提出了一个新的模型来解释这一观察到的模式，通过孢子传播和菌根真菌之间的竞争相互作用的差异。四个关键的预测，这个模型关于限制气生孢子传播和影响树根密度真菌竞争将通过现场采样和操作生长室实验相结合的测试。 这项工作的更广泛的影响是，它将帮助我们了解树木建立所必需的一个基本生物过程，并将为一组重要的未充分研究的生物体建立基本生态知识的基础。 研究生和本科生的培训将是这项研究的一个重要组成部分。此外，这项工作利用其在Point Reyes国家海滨的位置，反馈到公园内的管理决策中，并通过针对公共教育的外联工作。