Course Syllabus: EFB 428/628 -- Mycorrhizal Ecology

Dr. Tom Horton

Lecture on Mondays, 10:35-11:30, Illick rm 334

Paper Discussion on Wednesdays, 9:30-10:25, Illick rm 334

Lab Wednesdays - 10:30-1:450, Illick Hall Room 424

Required book:

Peterson, Massicotte and Melville (2004) Mycorrhizas: Anatomy and Cell Biology.

I believe you will find this book very helpful in the first part of the course as we survey mycorrhizal diversity. It is organized by mycorrhizal type, just like the lecture topics.

Highly recommended book if you plan to continue working with mycorrhizae:

Smith and Read (2009) Mycorrhizal Symbioses 3^rd edition.

This is THE authority on mycorrhizal associations. It covers just about everything, from diversity to ecology and applications. The literature list at the back is as complete as you will find.

Grading:

EFB 428

Midterm exam = 100 pts

Lab notebook (25pts on anatomy, 25pts on DNA) = 50 pts

Lab practical = 50 pts

Paper questions, 10 papers w/5 questions each = 50 pts

Term paper (5 – 10 pages) = 100 pts

Final Exam = 100 pts

Total = 450 points

EFB 628

Midterm exam = 100 pts

Paper presentations (2 at 25pts each) = 50 pts

Discussion activity for all papers = 50 pts

Lab practical = 50 pts

Manuscript (bioassay experiment) = 150 pts

Final Exam (Oral format) = 50 pts

Total = 450 pts

Date Monday Date shown	Lecture Mon, 10:35-11:30	Discussion/lab section Wed, 9:30-10:25		Lab Wed, 10:35 – 1:45
Aug 30	General Overview, Mycology and root anatomy Lecture 1		Set up "Bioassay I" experiment - Pine inoculated with EMF and grown under varying fertilizer levels
Sept 6	No Class – Labor Day		Agerer (2001) Exploration types of ectomycorrhizae		Field Trip: Rome Sand Plains 9:30 – 1:45
Sept 13	Ectomycorrhizae (EM) EM Lecture		In the laboratory with Agassiz (It’s about fish, but the message applies here as well)		Inoculate seedlings Quantifying colonization Morphotyping Sectioning roots & Hartig net
Sept 20	Ericoid,Arbutoid and Monotropoid mycorrhizae Ericaceae Lecture		Young et al. (2002) Monotropa uniflora		Field Trip: Heiberg Forest 9:30 – 1:45
Sept 27	Ericoid,Arbutoid and Monotropoid mycorrhizae (continued)		Bidartondo et al. Sarcodes/Rhizopogon ecology		Mycorrhizal root anatomy: ectomycorrhizae, monotropoid, arbutoid, monotropoid, orchid
Oct 4	Orchid Mycorrhizae Orchid Lecture		McKendrick papers		Sectioning EM and orchid myocrrhizae
Oct 11	Orchid mycorrhizae		Hawksworth 2001 Fungal Biodiversity		Find a plant. Clear and stain its roots
Oct 18	Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) AM Lecture		Bruns et al. Host Specificity: What do the exceptions tell us?		Quantify AM and DSE colonization in the plant from last week
Oct 25	Finish AM Lecture		Bever et al. - More diversity than meets the eye			Lab Practical: Mycorrhizal root anatomy (Open Notebook) Undergrads -- Turn in Notebook for Anatomy section grad
Nov 1	Exam I: Mycorrhizal types		The great debate Fitter et al. 1998 Comment, Response to comment		DNA Lab I - DNA Extraction part 1
Nov 8	Molecular Identification		Variation in fungal ITS sequences at regional scales		DNA Lab II - DNA Extraction part 2 & PCR
Nov 15	Common mycorrhizal networks		Lian et al. 2006: Matsutake mycorrhizal networks		DNA Lab III - Run gels to check for PCR products & Set up restriction digests (RFLP)
Nov 22	Ethnomycology		No Class - Thanksgiving
Nov 29	Sequenced Genomes: Laccaria bicolor (EM) Glomus intraradices (AM)		Nara 2006a and Nara 2006b Read both!!!			DNA Lab V - Run gels to see RFLP fingerprints
Dec 6	Garlic mustard		Graduate team report to class on the Bioassay experiment DNA Lab V - Clean up
Final Exam

Welcome to Mycorrhizal Ecology! It is amazing to me that most textbooks barely mention mycorrhizal symbioses. Indeed, many ecologists still consider mutualisms as special cases (acacia ants, orchid moths). Part of this bias comes from the fact that models of mutualisms predict they are ecologically and evolutionarily unstable and therefore should not be common (there are probably some socio-political issues here as well!!). But four examples of very stable mutualisms should put that misunderstanding to rest: mitochondria, chloroplasts, N-fixing bacteria in plant roots, and lichens. N-fixation nodules and lichen mutualisms each evolved independently several times. Further, around 80% of the world’s plant species associate with mycorrhizal fungi that are typically mutualistic, a fifth case demonstrating the ubiquity of mutualisms in nature. And again, mycorrhizal associations have evolved multiple times.

Course Details

There will be a lecture each Monday (10:35-11:30, Illick 334), and a paper discussion (9:30-10:25, Illick 334) and lab each Wednesday (10:30-1:45, Illick 424). The topics covered in the lecture, paper discussions and labs will be linked as much as possible. The first half of the semester will be an overview of mycorrhizal diversity. There are 7 main mycorrhizal types, defined/grouped based on their root anatomy and the species of fungi and plants involved: arbuscular mycorrhizae, ectomycorrhizae, ericoid mycorrhizae, orchid mycorrhizae, arbutoid mycorrhizae, monotropoid mycorrhizae and dark septate endophytes, We will cover one of these types each week (see schedule), giving you a firm foundation of root symbioses. We will then use this foundation in the second half of the semester to investigate topics on the roll of mycorrhizal fungi on ecosystem functions, seedling establishment, plant invasions, edible fungi, etc. I am open to suggestions, so send me your ideas.

We are lucky enough to have this course as a regular offering here at ESF. It is probably the ONLY course in Mycorrhizal Ecology taught at the undergraduate level in the country. I hope the topic grabs your attention as much as it did mine back in 1990 (!!) when I started my masters degree.

Date

Course Details