Tropical Fagales Forests as a Study Case for Understanding Ectomycorrhizal Fungi Function and Conservation

Monday, August 3, 7:30 P.M.

Zoom link will go to members via email.

Tropical oak forests harbor exceptional ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity, including numerous species unknown to science. These fungi form ecologically significant networks that regulate nutrient cycling, help maintain forest structure, and contribute to belowground carbon storage. As environmental sequencing reveals the full extent of their diversity, it is becoming clear that protecting these forests is a critical opportunity to protect highly endemic mycorrhizal diversity that is fundamental for both plant conservation and ecosystem functions.

Dr. Adriana Corrales is a mycologist specializing in tropical ectomycorrhizal fungi. She currently serves as Field Science Lead and Underground Explorers Program Director at SPUN (Society for the Protection of Underground Networks), helping to map mycorrhizal biodiversity globally to inform conservation policy. She holds a Ph.D. in Plant Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a former Assistant Professor at Universidad del Rosario in Colombia. Her work has helped understand links between fungal diversity to ecosystem processes in several countries mostly focusing on tropical ecosystems.