Events

Pyrophilous fungi are fungi that appear predominantly after wildfires. Some of these are triggered by heat, some have pH and nutritional profiles that lend themselves to post-fire soils and some exhibit sudden fruiting in response to host death. Where these fungi reside in the absence of fire has been a mystery. We surveyed pyrophilous fruiting bodies appearing after the 2016 wildfire in the Great Smoky Mountains National park. We also surveyed endophytes and mycorrhiza in pines germinating after the fire. I’ll cover some of the pyrophilous fungi we observed and show some pyrophilous fungi may actually be endophytes in non-fire conditions.

Crusts are an artificial assemblage of fungi that look vaguely similar due to their resupinate (growing flat against the substrate) morphology. With DNA sequencing, mycologists have discovered that crusts are actually spread out across almost all of the subphylum Agaricomycotina (phylum Basidiomycota). As a result, when discussing the ecology of crust fungi, we are sampling a vast diversity of life history strategies that has evolved over hundreds of millions of years. Far more than just wood decayers (although there is much to be said about saptrotrophy), this talk showcases the grand ecological dynamism of crusts and their broader importance for ecosystem functioning – from terrestrial to marine environments, roots tips to rock bottoms, basements to shipyards, and more. After this presentation, you will certainly feel greater appreciation and wonder for crusts and won’t ever be able to look at them as you did before!

Eroded marble surfaces teem with robust communities of algae, bacteria, and fungi. These communities are viewed variously as aesthetic disfigurements or enhancements. This presentation provides an overview of the surface ecology of marble and relationships between marble, lichens, biofilms, and weathering; it also will address the question of whether these communities contribute to the deterioration of marble or serve to protect it.

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...

This work approaches the field of mycology through a theoretical framework rooted in queer and feminist theories, as well as philosophy of science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge. The work seeks to challenge, push, and explore central tenets of institutional science, and to socially and historically situate current research dilemmas in mycology. By excavating and laying bare ingrained, systemic biases in scientific institutions, the aim is to disarm fallacious assertions of 'purity' in science.

There are over 2000 described species of webcaps in the genus Cortinarius. Their abundance and global distribution make them ideal study subjects for the evolution of fungi. In the first half of this presentation I will talk about truffle-like sequestrate fungi (fungi that have enclosed spore-bearing surfaces) and theories about their evolution. I tested Dr. Harry Thiers’ hypothesis that sequestrate fungi evolved in habitats of low precipitation by correlating the amount of precipitation and the state of being sequestrate. I found that sequestrate Cortinarius species are more likely to be found in areas having a great daily change in temperature and they are more likely to be found in areas that have a seasonal change in precipitation....

The delicious surprises, the utter flops, the great tips, and the ultimate lessons I learned from making our Fantastic Fungi Community Cookbook.

While some species of Hygrophoraceae were described by Peck, Murrill, Singer, Hesler and Smith, many of the named species in Hygrophoraceae were described from Europe, and those European names have been applied to collections from North America. How many of these species on either side of the Atlantic are truly the same species? This presentation will go through a series of paired comparisons of molecular phylogeny and % similarity in ITS barcodes between European species and their American counterparts to address this question.

Many examples exist where fungi use other fungi as sources of nutrition, causing their fungal hosts to incur damage as a result. This phenomenon is called 'mycoparasitism', and it is surprisingly common in nature. Many common fungi that you may already be familiar with participate in this exploitative ecological relationship. Join Dr. James Scott from the University of Toronto for a brief tour of the fascinating world of mycoparasitism, and uncover some of the secret lives behind your favorite fungi!

The talk “Fascinating spores” will focus on spores, their role in the life of a mushroom, and on correlations between spore characters and life style and dispersal, with an emphasis on all the things that we don’t know! (please note: this talk will not be recorded)