Date of Award

9-2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Biology

Program

Biology (MS)

First Advisor/Chairperson

Alan Rebertus

Abstract

This is the first paper to report Ascocoryne turficola Boud. 1905 (Helotiales: Ascomycota) within the United States. It is an obligate bog fungus native to Europe and Siberia, where it is extremely rare across most of its range. A. turficola appeared at Lily Pond Bog in Marquette, Michigan (87.47º W, 46.59º N) in 2019, almost contemporaneous with anecdotal reports in Minnesota and Ontario. Since 2019, the Lily Pond population has exploded and become the dominant fungus in this bog but has yet to spread to similar bogs nearby. This species is adapted to long distance dispersal and carries the potential to continue spreading. Using a combined approach of NMDS ordination and a case-controlled, binomial logistic repression, I modeled the vegetation and environmental variables associated with A. turficola. The strongest plant indicators were Rhynchospora alba and Eriophorum virginicum. Although not indicator species, ericaceous shrubs were present in 100% of plots with A. turifcola, suggesting a possible ericoid mycorrhizal relationship (ERM), which is especially common among fungi in the Helotiales. A. turficola occurrence also peaked at a pH of 4.3, and declined sharply at higher and lower pH. The associated vegetation, preference for intermediate pH and bare peat close to the water table—all demonstrate that A. turficola prefers “hollows” or “hollow edges” rather than more acidic sphagnum hummocks. ITS barcode sequencing and BLAST analysis showed a 99.9% genetic match to samples from Scotland. Here I discuss a single species but hope to highlight phenomena that are more common than previously thought.

Access Type

Open Access

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