Are endophytes saprotrophs?
September 30, 2015 @ 01:20 pm
to 02:10 pm
Ismaiel Szink, Penn State
102 Forest Resources Bldg
My lab conducted a nine month study on the development of endophytic fungal communities and their transition to decomposer communities within Quercus gambelii leaves from Spring Canyon in Central Utah. I performed statistical analyses using SAS Proc Traj creating trajectory models to determine succession and accretion patterns among operational taxonomic units (OTUs). We found several taxa that made a transition from endophyte to saprotroph. These findings can help determine the role of endophytes in plant ecology and improve our understanding of the relative balance between commensalism and parasitism.
Contact
Laura Radville
lur150@psu.edu