Assessing the Diversity and Restoration Potential of Native Prairie Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Communities
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Robin O'Quinn
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
5-7-2024 1:15 PM
End Date
5-7-2024 1:35 PM
Location
PAT 328
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Biology
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), belonging to the phylum Glomeromycota, are key to healthy, functioning terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Associating with over 80% of all extant land plants, they play a pivotal role in nutrient cycling, contribute to overall plant health, and mitigate inter-specific plant competition. Given their significance to terrestrial ecosystem functioning, AMF have a crucial role to play in the success of habitat restoration. However, AMF community composition is significantly impacted by commercial agricultural practices. The Eastern Washington University (EWU) Prairie Restoration Project aims to restore ~120 acres of farmland to native prairie. This project will investigate the role of AMF in prairie restoration through a two part study. Firstly, we will use DNA metabarcoding to characterize the community composition of AMF across various land-use types, including native remnant prairies, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands, and conventional farmland. We hypothesize that native prairies will have the highest AMF diversity, conventional farmland will have the lowest, and CRPs will call somewhere in between. Secondly, we will conduct a greenhouse study to assess the role of locally adapted AMF in mediating competition between important native prairie species and troublesome weedy annuals. We hypothesize that inoculation with AMF will result in an increase in above ground biomass and growth rate of native species compared to weedy taxa, resulting in a competitive advantage. The findings of this research will support the EWU prairie restoration efforts.
Recommended Citation
Cole, Katherine I., "Assessing the Diversity and Restoration Potential of Native Prairie Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Communities" (2024). 2024 Symposium. 11.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2024/op_2024/o4_2024/11
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Assessing the Diversity and Restoration Potential of Native Prairie Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Communities
PAT 328
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), belonging to the phylum Glomeromycota, are key to healthy, functioning terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Associating with over 80% of all extant land plants, they play a pivotal role in nutrient cycling, contribute to overall plant health, and mitigate inter-specific plant competition. Given their significance to terrestrial ecosystem functioning, AMF have a crucial role to play in the success of habitat restoration. However, AMF community composition is significantly impacted by commercial agricultural practices. The Eastern Washington University (EWU) Prairie Restoration Project aims to restore ~120 acres of farmland to native prairie. This project will investigate the role of AMF in prairie restoration through a two part study. Firstly, we will use DNA metabarcoding to characterize the community composition of AMF across various land-use types, including native remnant prairies, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands, and conventional farmland. We hypothesize that native prairies will have the highest AMF diversity, conventional farmland will have the lowest, and CRPs will call somewhere in between. Secondly, we will conduct a greenhouse study to assess the role of locally adapted AMF in mediating competition between important native prairie species and troublesome weedy annuals. We hypothesize that inoculation with AMF will result in an increase in above ground biomass and growth rate of native species compared to weedy taxa, resulting in a competitive advantage. The findings of this research will support the EWU prairie restoration efforts.
