NEW BOOK EXPLORES VITAL RELATIONSHIP FOR PLANT SURVIVAL
September 13, 2004 for immediate release
A
UNBC professor is one of the authors of a comprehensive new book that
examines the close relationship between plant root cells and fungi that
are critical to plant growth and survival.
This relationship is called a mycorrhizal association and is the subject of "Mycorrrhizas: Anatomy and Cell Biology" published by the National Research Council of Canada. Forestry professor Dr Hugues Massicotte was one of the book's authors, along with Dr Larry Peterson and Lewis Melville, both of the University of Guelph. Their group has been amongst the world's leading teams examining the structural diversity of root-fungal associations and the book has been described as "the culmination of a lifetime of research." It is one of the most comprehensive collections on the structure of mycorrhizas to be published to date.
"The majority of plants on earth rely on symbiotic associations with fungi to absorb nutrients, fend of diseases, tolerate drought conditions, and even protect themselves against some toxic metals in the soil," says Dr Massicotte. "Understanding this relationship is critical to addressing problems in agriculture, forestry, and environmental restoration. For example, researchers from UNBC and UBC-Okanagan are conducting one of the first studies on the effects of the BC wildfires last summer, examining the role of mycorrhizal fungi as forests regenerate."
Among the 300 images that appear in the book, several originated from various locations around Prince George, including the UNBC campus, Forests for the World, Willow River, Ness Lake, Bednesti, and Bear Lake. While not all fungi have a mycorrhizal relationship, many familiar mushroom species in the Boletes and Chanterelles do have a symbiotic relationship with plants.
A
UNBC professor is one of the authors of a comprehensive new book that
examines the close relationship between plant root cells and fungi that
are critical to plant growth and survival.
This relationship is called a mycorrhizal association and is the subject of "Mycorrrhizas: Anatomy and Cell Biology" published by the National Research Council of Canada. Forestry professor Dr Hugues Massicotte was one of the book's authors, along with Dr Larry Peterson and Lewis Melville, both of the University of Guelph. Their group has been amongst the world's leading teams examining the structural diversity of root-fungal associations and the book has been described as "the culmination of a lifetime of research." It is one of the most comprehensive collections on the structure of mycorrhizas to be published to date.
"The majority of plants on earth rely on symbiotic associations with fungi to absorb nutrients, fend of diseases, tolerate drought conditions, and even protect themselves against some toxic metals in the soil," says Dr Massicotte. "Understanding this relationship is critical to addressing problems in agriculture, forestry, and environmental restoration. For example, researchers from UNBC and UBC-Okanagan are conducting one of the first studies on the effects of the BC wildfires last summer, examining the role of mycorrhizal fungi as forests regenerate."
Among the 300 images that appear in the book, several originated from various locations around Prince George, including the UNBC campus, Forests for the World, Willow River, Ness Lake, Bednesti, and Bear Lake. While not all fungi have a mycorrhizal relationship, many familiar mushroom species in the Boletes and Chanterelles do have a symbiotic relationship with plants.
