Franziska Zahn: Beyond Photosynthesis: Do small trees in the understory of tropical forest gain additional carbon from fungi? 

Franziska Zahn, postdoc at University of Bayreuth (Germany), presents her work “Stable isotope analysis indicates partial mycoheterotrophy in arbuscular mycorrhizal woody seedlings in tropical forests”. She discusses the collaborative network established between plants and fungi, how little we know about C-transfer in plants, and advises everyone to focus on their research despite the fascinating questions ecology offers to us.  Thinking of plants, we often picture … Continue reading Franziska Zahn: Beyond Photosynthesis: Do small trees in the understory of tropical forest gain additional carbon from fungi? 

Zhenlong Xing: Plants may exploit herbivore-induced flavonoids to regulate AM fungal symbiosis 

In our latest post, Zhenlong Xing—a researcher at Henan University, Kaifeng, China—presents his work ‘Foliar herbivory modifies arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonization likely through altering root flavonoids’. He discusses the inspiration behind this paper and the path he took to become an ecologist.  About the paper  In June 2018, I obtained my PhD degree and I was lucky to start my new research career in Jianqing … Continue reading Zhenlong Xing: Plants may exploit herbivore-induced flavonoids to regulate AM fungal symbiosis 

Pablo Castro Sánchez-Bermejo: Tree and mycorrhizal fungal diversity affect leaf functional traits in trees 

In this blog post, Pablo Castro Sánchez-Bermejo presents his work ‘Tree and mycorrhizal fungal diversity drive intraspecific and intraindividual trait variation in temperate forests: Evidence from a tree diversity experiment’. He discusses the effects of tree and mycorrhizal fungal diversity on leaf functional traits, the challenges of leaf sampling in tall trees, and how his love for the outdoors has led to an interest in … Continue reading Pablo Castro Sánchez-Bermejo: Tree and mycorrhizal fungal diversity affect leaf functional traits in trees