Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Investigating the ability of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to mitigate the negative effects of warming and drought on native perennial forbs(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2022) Eggers, Jessica Avery; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Laura Burkle; This is a manuscript style paper that includes co-authored chapters.The ability of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to mitigate the negative effects of warming and drought on plant hosts is known for crop species but is poorly understood for native, perennial forbs. Examining the indirect influence of AMF on forbs' responses to these stressors will provide a more complete understanding of how native forbs will be affected by climate change. In an experimental greenhouse study, we inoculated two native forb species (Achillea millefolium and Linum lewisii) with three separate AMF species (Rhizophagus clarus, Claroideoglomus etunicatum, and Gigaspora rosea), then exposed plants, including an uninoculated control treatment, to varying degrees of drought and heat stress in a factorial design. We tested the effects of warming or drought treatments on plants' physical, floral, phenological, and physiological traits, including biomass, height, floral abundance, flower size, first date of flowering, floral scent, and photosynthetic performance. For both forbs, AMF ameliorated the negative effects of drought and warming on plant survival and vegetative growth, but the magnitude of effect was specific to the forb species, climate treatment, and AMF inoculant. AMF also produced changes in forb phenology, floral scent (volatile organic compounds), and flowering success and duration, which have broad implications for plant-pollinator interactions and the links between belowground and aboveground symbioses. Together, these results indicate that AMF can assist native forbs in surviving, growing, and reproducing in a warmer and drier climate.Item Effects of environmental factors on infection of barley by parasitic or symbiotic soil-borne fungi(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1990) Grey, William EdwardItem The relationship of selected plants and their vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae in a heavy metal environment(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1985) Ferns, Thomas WilliamItem Comparing inoculum potential of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza from three plant species(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1989) Levit, Stuart MichaelItem Geothermal soil ecology in Yellowstone National Park(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2012) Meadow, James Francis; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Catherine A. Zabinski.; Catherine A. Zabinski was a co-author of the article, 'Linking symbiont community structures in a model Arbuscular mycorrhizal system' in the journal 'New phytologist' which is contained within this thesis.; Catherine A. Zabinski was a co-author of the article, 'Prokaryotic communities differ along a geothermal soil photic gradient' in the journal 'Microbial ecology' which is contained within this thesis.Microbial communities in soil are among the most diverse and species-rich of any habitat, but we know surprisingly little about the factors that structure them. Geothermal soils present unique and relatively unexplored model systems in which to address ecological questions using soil microbial communities, since harsh conditions in these soils exert strong filters on most organisms. This work represents two very different approaches to studying soil ecology in geothermal soils in Yellowstone National Park: 1) Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) communities living in the roots of Mimulus gutattus in contrasting plant community types were compared to assess a link in community structure between plants and their AMF symbionts; and 2) soil microbial communities were surveyed across multiple spatial scales in an unstudied diatomaceous biological soil crust in alkaline siliceous geothermal soils, using bar-coded 454 pyrosequencing of 18S and 16S rDNA. Mycorrhizal communities living in plant roots from contrasting community types showed a striking difference in taxon richness and diversity that appears to transcend soil-chemical differences, though robust conclusions are difficult since plant and fungal communities are structured by some of the same confounding soil conditions. Cluster and discriminant analyses were employed to compare drivers of AMF community structure. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic communities in a diatomaceous biological soil crust differ significantly from that of an adjacent sinter soil, and along a photic depth gradient. Along with a description of this unique system, extensive multivariate community analyses were used to address outstanding questions of soil microbial community spatial heterogeneity and the methodologies best suited to the unique assumptions of these datasets. Depending on the intended scope of inference, much detail can be gained by investigation of microbial communities at the aggregate or soil particle scale, rather than through composite sampling. Additionally, beta-diversity patterns are apparent with relatively few sequences per sample.