Description:Oregon Dunes — We now have good evidence that suilloid fungi (Suillus and Rhizopogon spp.) are critical for pines establishing in areas where mycorrhizal fungi are missing. I first learned about this in pine plantations in the high Andes of Ecuador. I then observed suilloid fungi supporting pine seedlings establishing after wildfire in California. These studies guided my research on the coast of Oregon where pines establish in the middle of sand dunes away from mycorrhizal networks associated with local forests. I found many fungi fruiting in the surrounding forests with multiple species in such genera as Amanita Cortinarius Lactarius Russula Boletus Leccinum Tricholoma and others. However Rhizopogon and Suillus were virtually the only fungi found on seedlings in the middle of the dunes. I also found that deer preferentially eat these fungi and disperse the spores across the dunes in the fecal pellets. Further unlike other genera viable suilliod spores build up in soils in dormant spore banks supporting pine establishment for years. About Tom Horton:After getting his BA at Humboldt State University Tom went on to get an MA in Ecology & Systematics at San Francisco State U where he investigated the role of mycorrhizal fungi associated with chaparral plants facilitating Douglas-fir establishment. Tom writes ‘Dr. Tom Parker a plant ecologist was my main advisor but I was lucky to work closely with Dr. Harry Theirs and Dr. Dennis Desjardin.” Continuing to work with eminent mycologists he got his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley with Tom Bruns focusing on the use of molecular tools to investigate underground ectomycorrhizal communities. He did his post-doc at Oregon State U. under Drs. Randy Molina and Jim Trappe continuing to study mycorrhizal fungi and plant dynamics. He is now a professor at SUNY Syracuse. Tom sums up his career as “There were multiple projects along the way but all seem to follow my general interest in knowing how the life history of ectomycorrhizal fungi influence plant succession and plant community dynamics in general.”