Episode description
Episode description
Today on Mushroom Hour we are joined by illustrious lichen expert Matthew Nelsen PhD. Matthew is a Research Scientist at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. Matt's research began in botany, ecology and environmental science and has more recently gravitated towards: (i) the evolution of symbiotic associations; and (ii) the evolution of eukaryotic microbes (fungi and algae), and the roles they have played in shaping terrestrial ecosystems and nutrient-cycling over geologic timescales. Both avenues of his research attempt to link diverse fields and organismal groups. He also has conducted work addressing the timing and evolutionary consequences of ant-plant interactions. Matt thank you so much for joining us on the Mushroom Hour!
TOPICS COVERED:
- Fungus & Algae Species Forming Lichen Partnerships
- Host Specificity in Lichen Partnerships
- Evolutionary History of Lichen
- Vascular Plants on Land Before Lichen?!
- Challenges of Working on “Big Time”
- Process of Lichen Formation, Fungal Phenotypes
- Lichen Blurring Species Boundaries
- Cleptobiosis
- Role in Carbon & Nitrogen Cycles
- Lichen as an Ecosystem
- Lichen & Air Quality in an Environment
- Lichenometry
- Analysis of Fungal Coal Formation Hypothesis
- Ant Plant Interactions
EPISODE RESOURCES:
- Matthew Nelsen Website: https://mpnelsen.com/
- Lichen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichen
- Xanthoria parietina (Lichen): https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Xanthoria_parietina
- Trebouxia (Lichen Genus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trebouxia
- Toby Spribille (Lichen Expert): https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=vPlIL5IAAAAJ&hl=en
- Betsy Arnold (Endophyte Expert): http://www.arnoldlab.net/
- Article on Fungal Coal Formation Hypothesis: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1517943113
- Arthrobotrys (Fungal Genus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthrobotrys
- Mycoparasites: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/mycoparasites