Anthropogenic induced climate change is predicted to alter distribution of existing plant populations. As plants migrate over space and time, populations often fragment and contract, affecting basic elements of population dynamics (e.g., population size, gene flow, genetic diversity, etc.). Little is known, however, how these impacts on plant species will...
Rhizopogon salebrosus is an abundant ectomycorrhizal fungus common throughout Western North America that forms mutualistic partnerships with Pinus species. Studied for its systematics, use in sapling nurseries, post-fire seedling establishment, and unique evolutionary history, R. salebrosus holds many secrets within its genome. This thesis aims to characterize the mating system,...
Secondary metabolites (SMs) play an integral role in the life history of most fungal species. Fungal metabolomic studies provide insights into how fungi perform certain ecological functions, how they compete and interact with other organisms, and the breadth of fungal chemodiversity. Fungal SMs have also been utilized for a variety...
An increased understanding of secondary metabolism in fungi is important for both biological and societal reasons. The ascomycete genus, Tolypocladium, is an ideal system to explore secondary metabolism characterization, ecology, evolution and regulation. The genus produces and has the genomic potential to produce a wide array of metabolites. Paired with...
The gas phase electron-diffraction (GED) technique has been the primary method used to expand our knowledge and understanding of gas-phase molecular structures. The technique yields interatomic distances and bond angles that are of use in both theoretical and experimental studies.
The GED structural parameters are thermal averages over all vibrational...
Rhizopogon vesiculosus is a common ectomycorrhizal (EM) symbiont of Pseudotusga menziesii (Douglas-fir) in the coast range of the Pacific Northwest. The species has been studied for its systematics, genet size, population structure, and competitive ability in several field and experimental studies. This thesis seeks to provide a more thorough characterization...
Rhizopogon is a large genus of ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi that grows in association with host trees of the family Pinaceae. We have conducted a series of studies investigating the ecology and evolutionary biology of the EM symbiosis shared between R. subgenus Villosuli and trees of the genus Pseudotsuga. Two members...
Fungi in the genus Tolypocladium are diverse in their host associations, but the predominant ecologies include parasites of the ectomycorrhizal genus Elaphomyces and pathogens of insects. The aim of this dissertation research is to examine the evolution of these fungi and their host associations. To accomplish this several lines of...
Mat-forming ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi represent a prevalent constituent of many temperate forest ecosystems and create dramatic changes in soil structure and chemistry. EcM mat soil have been shown to have increased microbial respiration rates and have been hypothesized to harbor unique assemblages of fungi and bacteria. The objectives of this...
Historical concepts of Clavicipitaceae have included a broad range of species that display diverse morphologies, ecological modes and host associations. When subjected to multigene phylogenetic investigation of evolutionary history, the family was found to be polyphyletic, largely driven by diversity in the genus Cordyceps, previously containing over 400 taxa. The...