Your path towards ecological understanding

Fungal farming snails

November 2, 2018 Philip Pinzone

Littoraria irrorata on cordgrass (Spartina sp.) — *Littoraria irrorata* on cordgrass (*Spartina* sp.)

Fungal cultivation has evolved separately around 10 times, though only insects seemed to figure out this fungal farming ecology. That is until two researchers described a non-insect fungal cultivator that maintains fungal gardens on cordgrass in intertidal marine habitats called marshes. Everybody, I'd like you to meet the fungal farming snail.

Fungi Friday; Stropharia rugosoannulata

June 22, 2018 Philip Pinzone

Stropharia rugosoannulata with its purple-grey gills and cogwheel ring. Photo by Ann F. Berger. — *Stropharia rugosoannulata* with its purple-grey gills and cogwheel ring. Photo by Ann F. Berger.

Stropharia rugosoannulata is an amazing species I love encountering on my fungal forays. Usually found on woodchips, the species clearly breaks down woody material. However, what makes wood an efficient tissue to synthesize for plants, does not make it a prime food source for fungi. A strategy this forest floor inhabitant has in its repertoire is a unique mechanism to trap nematodes and absorbs the nutrients within the organisms to supplement its otherwise nutrient poor woody diet.

Overlooked and underappreciated fungal symbiotes; Trichoderma species

April 27, 2018 Philip Pinzone

Orange filaments in a.) and b.) represent Trichoderma sp. within plant roots. Blue filaments represent fungal pathogens. When invaded by Trichoderma sp. the plant responds by creating cell-wall deposits (black squiggles) which limits Trichoderma and… — Orange filaments in a.) and b.) represent *Trichoderma* sp. within plant roots. Blue filaments represent fungal pathogens. When invaded by *Trichoderma* sp. the plant responds by creating cell-wall deposits (black squiggles) which limits *Trichoderma* and pathogen growth. The first plant in panel c.) represents a healthy, disease resistant plant with *Trichoderma* sp. present while the second individual represents a disease ridden, less fit plant without the fungal mutualist. Harman et al. 2004.

Like mycorrhizae, Trichoderma sp. do more than just providing their host with nutrients. They offer numerous fitness enhancing services that must not be overlooked. In today’s post I will briefly describe the ecological services provided by Trichoderma sp. and how we are using this group of fungi to enhance our own fitness.

Marine and terrestrial fungal species overlap

March 14, 2018 Philip Pinzone

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  … — The submarine Pices V and a scuba diver using several combinations of mixed gas. Wainwright et al. 2017.

This new research not only reveals the first documented evidence of algal-fugal associations in deep coral ecosystems, but shows that the some of the same species found here live in terrestrial habitats too.

The influence of human deposited nitrogen on plants and their fungal mutualist

February 21, 2018 Philip Pinzone

Beneath the forest floor, N deposition is changing plant-fungal nutrient dynamics.

Activities like crop fertilization, and the combustion of fossil fuels is allowing massive amounts of nitrogen to be deposited to ecosystems around the world. A main response is the seemingly simple shift towards less functioning mycorrhizae. This actually has a pronounced impact on the entire ecosystem.