Plant-Fungal Interactions

Over evolutionary time, nearly all land plants have evolved symbiotic relationships with fungi. These symbioses include mycorrhizae, a mutualistic relationship that occurs when plants provision carbohydrates to subterranean fungi that enhance nutrient uptake, and associations with fungal endophytes living within leaves that may influence plant ecophysiological performance.

In the lab, students have investigated relationships between ectomycorrhizal community assemblages and with tree sapling growth. More recently, we are examining associations among plant gas exchange rates, water stress, and colonization by foliar endophytic fungi in the Southern Appalachian mountains.