I am a graduate from the UBC Forestry Natural Resource Conservation program. In the summer of 2011, I began work on a research project focused on Douglas-fir seedling establishment and the influence of mycorrhizal fungi networks in the southern interior of British Columbia. I’m lucky for the opportunity to continue working on this project and earn an MSc in Forest Sciences.
I’m drawn to patterns and the interconnection of systems. The soil system is the confluence of the lithosphere, with minerals of varying size creating the soil matrix; the hydrosphere, percolating through the column creating nutrient solutions; the biosphere, trees and plants that accesses these nutrients through vast root and fungal networks; and the atmosphere, facilitating oxygen exchange for the multitude of soil biota that continually cycle nutrients for reuse. It’s a very beautiful system and I’d like to learn more.
My research will focus on the effect of gap size from forest harvesting on Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziezii) seedling establishment and the effect of ectomycorrhizal fungi associations. Ectomycorrhizal fungi bonds to the root systems of trees in a mutually beneficial relationship: The fungus gains access to atmospheric carbon through the tree, and the tree gains access to water and nutrients in small interspaces that the roots are usually too large for. Where it gets really fun is when mycorrhizal fungi associate with multiple trees and create a network of accessible water and nutrients that trees and plants can tap into.