Mycorrhizal fungi in invasion: differences between native and non-native plant species (vacature in het Engels)

Are you curious about the role that mycorrhizal fungi play in mediating plant invasions? We are seeking a motivated student to test how non-native species differ from native species in their mycorrhizal relationships to understand how they invade.

Understanding where and which plant species will invade native ecosystems is a pressing ecological question. Ecologists have long focused on plant traits, plant-plant interactions (especially competition), and resource limitation as drivers of plant distributions and invasions. One exception has been the focus on belowground enemies, i.e. pathogens. However, the vast majority of plant species worldwide associate with mycorrhizal mutualisms, which are beneficial associations essential for resource uptake and competitive outcomes. Emerging research has highlighted the important role these mycorrhizal fungi play in plant biogeography and invasion, but experimental tests are still scarce. 

Here, we plan to conduct a controlled greenhouse experiment to test for shifts in mycorrhizal dependence (reliance) in non-native species relative to native species in the Netherlands. An additional component of this work is testing several mycorrhizal fungal species to assess variation in benefit across native and non-native plant species.

With this project, you will learn to work with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in greenhouse experiments, assess root colonization and associated structures, evaluate root architecture, and conduct spore extractions. Depending on interest and time, there is also the potential for field collections of soils and seeds as well as molecular work.