Mycorrhizal Fungi: Invisible Architects of Ecosystem Diversity by Jeremiah A. Henning

Presented by Jeremiah A. Henning, post-doctoral research associate in the department Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior at the University of Minnesota, at the Bryant Lake Bowl on November 11th, 2017.

Although they are an invisible group of soil-dwelling organisms, mycorrhizal fungi are critical to the maintenance of plant diversity, plant productivity, and the storage of carbon in soils. Mycorrhizal fungi likely hold the key to how ecosystems will respond to global change. For my talk, I will introduce the audience to the group of fungi I study, Glomeromycota, then briefly introduce a couple of the classic studies demonstrating the important links between fungal diversity, plant diversity, productivity, and soil carbon. Once I lay this groundwork, I will transition into how these fungi may shape ecosystem response to global change, talking very generally about the carbon cycle and a few of my past and current research projects.

I am currently a post-doctoral research associate in the department Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior at the University of Minnesota. I recently relocated back to the Midwest after completing my Ph.D. at the University of Tennessee. Overall, my research focuses on understanding patterns that maintain global biodiversity and how contemporary global change is reshaping biodiversity. Although my research has taken me from tropical rainforests to mountain tops, and up to the arctic tundra permafrost, the tall grass prairie always holds a place in my heart, and I will focus most of my talk on work that has been conducted in a Tallgrass prairie near Eau Claire, WI.

Visit: https://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/... for an audio of this episode, and to find years of back episodes!

The Bell Museum's Café Scientifique is a happy hour exchange of ideas about science, environment and popular culture that features experts from a variety of fields on diverse and often provocative topics.

In the Twin Cities area? Join us for our monthly Café! It runs September to May, 7PM every third Tuesday of the month at the Bryant Lake Bowl: http://www.bryantlakebowl.com/theater...

Credits:
Host - Leah Peterson.
Audio Technician - Kyle Grindberg.
Podcast Video Producer - Kyle Grindberg.
Speaker - Jeremiah A. Henning, post-doctoral research associate in the department Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior at the University of Minnesota.

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