Ectomycorrhizal Fungi in Declining Hemlock Stands
Investigated shifts in mycorrhizal communities associated with eastern hemlock decline from hemlock woolly adelgid infestation.
Overview
Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) forests across the southeastern United States are declining due to infestation by hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). This project investigated how hemlock decline affects ectomycorrhizal (ECM) colonization and growth of red oak (Quercus rubra) seedlings — a species expected to replace hemlock in many transitioning forests.
Key Findings
Published in American Midland Naturalist (2021), this work demonstrated the complex belowground consequences of hemlock loss, contributing to our understanding of how invasive species cascade through forest ecosystems.
Publication
Caruso, K. E., Horton, J. L., and A. A. Hove. (2021). Assessing the effect of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) decline from hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) infestation on ectomycorrhizal colonization and growth of red oak (Quercus rubra) seedlings. American Midland Naturalist, 186:16–34.