Nicole Hynson
University of Hawaii
Dr.
Nicole Hynson is a Professor in the Pacific Biosciences Research Center at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Director of the Center for Microbiome Analysis through Island Knowledge and Investigation (C-MĀIKI). The focus of her group's research is the
ecology and evolution of symbiotic fungi including their roles in native and invasive plant species success. Nicole has been classically trained as a mycologist since her time as an undergraduate at the Evergreen State College under the tutelage of Dr. Michael
Beug. She went on to study fungal ecology in the lab of Dr. Tom Bruns at the University of California Berkeley where she received her PhD in 2010, after which she was a Postdoc in the lab of Dr. Kathleen Treseder at the University of California Irvine before
starting her lab at the University of Hawaiʻi in 2012.
Session:
Session 4: Deliberate fungal invasions - fungi as bioinoculants (part I: Effects aboveground)
Abstract:
Restoration aboveground, dysbiosis below? A pressing need for the integration of mycorrhizal ecology in plant restoration practices
Kacie T. Kajihara, Cameron P. Egan, Sean O.I. Swift, Christopher B. Wall, Christopher D. Muir, Leah Thompson, Danyel Yogi, Thomas Chapin, Nicole A. Hynson
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Pacific Biosciences Research Center, 1993 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI, 96822 USA
Land conversion and natural disasters threaten many critical habitats worldwide. Tropical oceanic island ecosystems are particularly vulnerable due to their isolation and high rates of species endemism. Restoration is often touted as a management tool for mitigating the negative effects of these threats, but restoration efforts often fail to meet their objectives. A missing component of these practices may be the integration of microbes, such as mycorrhizal fungi. For the last decade we have been investigating the effects of land alterations including conversion of native tropical oceanic island ecosystems to pastures and plantations on mycorrhizal fungal communities. From these efforts we’ve learned that even decades after their implementation, common restoration practices only lead to the partial reassembly of mycorrhizal fungal communities, which lack host specific taxa. Our ongoing research seeks to determine whether inoculation of captive-reared native plants with wild sourced mycorrhizal fungi increases the health and fitness of the host plants, especially when they are reintroduced for restoration purposes. We’ve learned that while pre-inoculation influences plant growth response and overall health, not all inocula are created equal. These findings indicate that host specific interactions and site conditions are important considerations for the success of future restoration efforts.