Abstract Detail

Ecological Section

Tipton, Alice G. [1], Galen, Candace [2].

The ghost of glades past: ectomycorrhizal community abundance in degraded and restored dolomite glades.

With the onset of fire suppression in the early twentieth century, many dolomite glade habitats throughout Missouri were invaded by cedars and other woodland species, causing the loss of these unique open habitats that once persisted on the southwestern slopes of Missouri hills. However, extensive restoration has begun at many of these historical glade sites. Differences in plant communities, soil mycorrhizal communities, and abiotic factors between glades and the surrounding woodland make glades an interesting system for studying edge effects on plant/mycorrhizal interactions. For example, oak (Quercus) species of Missouri woodlands host ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM), while most of the herbaceous glade plants host arbuscular mycorrhizae (AMF). Because glades are harsh dry environments with shallow rocky soil, it is likely that mycorrhizal relationships between plants and their partnering fungi are important to the health and diversity of the plant community and restoration success. We sampled the ectomycorrhizal soil community in five glades of varying sizes and restoration ages (5-20 ybp) throughout central and southern Missouri. We also sampled 13 historic and overgrown glade sites in the same region, located at Tyson Research Center. The Tyson historic glade sites were cleared of tree species in the summer of 2010 but restoration has not yet begun. In both the historic Tyson glades and the 5-20 year old restored glades, ectomycorrhizal colonization decreased from the edge to the center of the glade site. Moreover, ectomycorrhizal colonization rates overall did not differ between historical glade sites at Tyson and restored glade sites. These results suggest that glades restrict ECM colonization and that such restriction persists long after glades have been converted into woodland. We are currently surveying the morphotypes of ECM species found in the glade samples, to determine if ECM vary in sensitivity to glade environments and accordingly in invasion potential.

Broader Impacts:

1 - University of Missouri-Columbia, Biological Sciences, 105 Tucker Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
2 - University Of Missouri, Biological Sciences, 105 TUCKER HALL, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

Keywords:
restoration
mycorrhiza
conservation
Missouri.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Khorassan Ballroom/Chase Park Plaza
Date: Monday, July 11th, 2011
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PEC005
Abstract ID:142