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Mañé Duarte, María de la Paz

University of British Columbia

Mycorrhizal fungi form symbiotic associations with plant roots, playing essential roles in ecosystem function. As obligate symbionts, understanding their ecology and biogeography requires knowledge of fungal-host associations. However, current knowledge of host compatibility remains inadequate due to extremely limited and taxonomically biased sampling, and methodological inconsistencies. The slow pace of new discoveries and data limitations hinder our ability to map and predict fungal-host relationships. Models for predicting potential associations between parasites and hosts have been applied successfully, but have yet to be considered for predicting potential mycorrhizal associations. In this thesis, I present a roadmap for predicting ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi-host associations. I first review existing knowledge and key gaps, including challenges in sampling, taxonomic biases, and uncertainties in mycorrhizal classification. I then explore ecological, phylogenetic, and functional factors that shape fungal-host relationships, assessing the strengths and limitations of available data sources for these predictor themes. Additionally, I evaluate predictive modeling approaches, comparing their suitability for EM associations based on data requirements, performance, and interpretability. By outlining key considerations for method selection and data integration, this roadmap provides a foundation for more systematic and informed approaches to uncovering fungal-host associations. Ultimately, it could accelerate the discovery of novel EM partnerships, refine sampling strategies, and contribute to fungal conservation efforts in a changing environment.

Text

2025-05-22

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/91171

Biology

University of British Columbia

UBCO

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/