Document Type

Thesis

Date of Degree Completion

Summer 2020

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biology

Committee Chair

James Johnson

Second Committee Member

Paul James

Third Committee Member

Karl Lillquist

Abstract

Populations of soil fungi were examined in Derby Canyon Natives, Coeur d’Alene Forest Service nursery, Swamp Lake, and the Keechelus Lake wildlife overcrossing soils. All sampling sites were connected by their relation to the revegetation and native soil plug inoculation of the wildlife overpass. This study was an effort to describe soil fungi communities present on the overpass before plant introduction, those that plants would be bringing in their pots, and the fungi that could be introduced via soil plug transplantation. DNA was extracted from soil samples, then sequenced using next-generation sequencing methods, allowing for the analysis of species richness and evenness, diversity, and functional diversity. Both nurseries had relatively higher amounts of plant pathogens and saprotrophs, and so it was determined that the plants would not be bringing many beneficial soil fungi when introduced to the overcrossing. The mature forest area had a diverse community of fungi that included beneficial root fungi, and was deemed a suitable site to draw soil plugs. The wildlife overpass had high diversity and species richness but low functional diversity, providing evidence for the necessity of establishing more functionally diverse communities of fungi with soil plugs.

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