My interest in biology began with a wish to understand how plants adapt to different environments and survive under extreme conditions. After completing a B.Sc. in agronomy, I worked with local communities in Nepal, teaching and developing sustainable agriculture methods. During that time, I developed an interest in fundamental molecular mechanisms, which inspired my enrollment for an M.Sc. focusing on the regulation of photosynthesis and a more holistic, ecophysiological Ph.D. research on trees in their native environment.
Currently, as a postdoc, I have returned to my agriculture roots and applied my extensive forest ecophysiology experience into an agro-ecology research. By combining plant ecophysiology with mycorrhizal fungi, I hope to gain a deeper understanding into plant-microbial interactions and improve sustainable agriculture under climate change scenarios.
50
The Global distribution of dual mycorrhizal hosts
IDO ROG , DAVID LERNER, MARCEL G. A. VAN DER HEIJDEN
Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
Department of Agroecology & Environment, Plant-Soil Interactions, Agroscope, Zurich, 8046, Switzerland
In natural environments, it is common that soil nutrients or water availability limit plant growth. One of the leading adaptation mechanisms for most plants to cope with these challenges is the formation of symbiotic interactions with mycorrhizal fungi. Although most plants only associate with one mycorrhizal type, ectomycorrhiza (EM) or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM), some plant species are capable of forming interactions with both mycorrhizal type. Yet, little is known regarding how dual mycorrhization affects the host's acclimation to specific environments. In this study, we analyze the distribution of tree species that interact exclusively with EM, AM, and hosts capable of dual mycorrhization. We use a dataset of more than 700 tree species at a global scale, spreading over 14 biomes. We show that dual mycorrhiza-hosts have distributions at areas of lower precipitation compared to trees associated exclusively with either AM or EM mycorrhiza. Our study suggests that dual-mycorrhizal interactions enable the niche expansion of EM hosts to warmer and phosphorous limited areas. Our results highlight the advantages of tree species capable of dual-mycorrhiza symbiosis to harsh environments.