| Abstract Detail
MSA - Ecology/Pathology Galante, T.E. [1], Horton, Thomas R. [2], Swaney, D.P. [3]. 95% of Spores Fall Within 45 cm of the cap: A field and modeling based study. Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) utilize two vectors to expand into new locations: vegetative spread and spore dispersal. Under primary succession, the absence of networks leaves spores as the only possible inoculation source. Buller suggested in 1909 that a single ephemeral fruiting body can produce billions of spores, but not much is known about EMF dispersal capabilities. Previous research states that most of these spores fall directly under the cap, but the number of spores and distance dispersed remained unquantified. Through a field and modeling based approach, this study seeks to answer questions on how many spores are produced over a given time and at what distance these spores disperse.This research was conducted at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area where primary successional seedling establishment is facilitated by the presence of ectomycorrhizal fungal (EM) spores. Spore traps were placed around five individual sporocarps for each of the following six EM fungi to compare the amount and extent of dispersal for each species: Inocybe lacera, Lactarius rufus, Suillus brevipes, S. tomentosus, Thelephora americana, and Laccaria laccata. Spore traps were oriented along three transects radiating away from the sporocarp at the following distances: 1-5 cm, 10-15 cm, 25-30 cm, 40-45 cm, and 55-60 cm. Traps were collected after 24 hours and spores counted. Using the exponential decay model, y=ae-bs , we estimate the dispersal distance and rate of spore dispersal decay while exploring the effect of different physical parameters such as sporocarp height, size, and weight, spore size and shape, wind speed, and the direction of dispersal relative to the dominant wind direction. Results suggest that 95% of spores counted fall within 7-45 cm of the sporocarp depending upon species and wind direction.
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1 - SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Environmental Forest Biology, 458 Illick Hall, 1 Forestry Dr., Syracuse, NY, 13210, United States
2 - SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Environmental Forest Biology, 350 Illick Hall, 1 Forestry Dr., Syracuse, NY, 13210, United States
3 - Cornell University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell, Ithaca, NY, United States
Keywords:
Spore dispersal
modeling
primary succession.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Topics
Session: 44
Location: Cottonwood B/Snowbird Center
Date: Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
Time: 10:15 AM
Number: 44001
Abstract ID:407 |
