<p>Osnovni cilj ove doktorske disertacije&nbsp; bio&nbsp; je izrada relevantne liste&nbsp; &ndash;&nbsp; spiska vrsta, gljiva<br />pripadnika razdela&nbsp; Ascomycota&nbsp; Fru&scaron;ke gore, sa posebnim osvrtom na red Helotiales<br />objedinjavanjem postojećih podataka iz literature i podataka sakupljenih tokom poslednjih 5 godina istraživanjem kandidata na terenu.</p><p>Na osnovu istraživanja ukupno je zabeleženo 727&nbsp; vrsta.&nbsp; Od ukupnog broja 420&nbsp; predstavljaju prve nalaze za područje Fru&scaron;ke gore, a 304&nbsp; su prvi podaci za čitavo područje Srbije.&nbsp; U okviru reda Helotiales zabeleženo je ukupno 133&nbsp; vrsta iz 17 familija i ukupno 58 rodova.&nbsp; Pored toga, na osnovu morfo-anatomske analize i molekularnih metoda opisana je i jedna nova vrsta za nauku- Psilocalycina fraxini-orni.</p><p>Za sve vrste iz reda Helotiales dat je tekstualni&nbsp;opis, fotografija u prirodi, crtež mikroskopskih karaktera i ključevi za determinaciju.</p><p>Ovim istraživanjem značajno je upotpunjeno poznavanje ove grupe organizama ne samo na ovoj planini, već u Srbiji uop&scaron;te.</p> / <p>General aim of this doctoral thesis was the development of relevant list&nbsp; -&nbsp; the list offungal species of phylum Ascomycota originates from Fruska Gora, with special emphasis to the order Helotiales, based on consolidating existing data from theliterature and data collected&nbsp; during the last 5 years of research in the field.</p><p>Based on the research 727&nbsp; species were recorded, among all 420&nbsp; are recorded for the first&nbsp; time in the area of Fruska Gora, and 304&nbsp; represent the first data for the whole territory of Serbia. Based on this research for order Helotiales were recorded 133 species from 17 families and 58 genera. In addition, based on morpho-anatomical&nbsp; and molecular analysis method is described and a new species - Psilocalycina fraxini-arable.</p><p>In additional for all species of order Helotiales is given next description,photos from nature, drawing microscopic character and determination keys.</p><p>This research has significantly complemented the knowledge of this group of organisms, not only on this mountain, but in Serbia in general.</p>

Los hongos anamórficos son un vasto grupo dentro del reino Fungi, caracterizado por reproducirse asexualmente. Aunque la mayoría de ellos son saprófitos, un gran número de especies atacan plantas y animales, incluido el ser humano. Con el fin de contribuir al conocimiento de la diversidad y distribución geográfica de los hongos anamórficos, en la presente tesis se realizó una caracterización fenotípica y molecular de aislamientos ambientales y clínicos de estos hongos. Mediante un estudio de taxonomía polifásica que incluyó morfología, fisiología y análisis de secuencias de ADN, se propusieron los siguientes nuevos taxones: Cladorrhinum flexuosum, C. microsclerotigenum, Fibulochlamys chilensis, Ramophialophora humicola, Sporothrix brunneoviolacea, S. dimorphospora y Leptodiscella brevicatenata, todos ellos aislados desde muestras ambientales, principalmente de suelo. Un estudio filogenético de cepas clínicas del género Sporothrix reveló por primera vez la presencia de S. globosa, una especie recientemente descrita, en México, América Central (Guatemala) y América del Sur (Colombia). / Anamorphic fungi (those reproducing asexually) are a big part of kingdom Fungi. Most of them occur as saprobes in nature, but numerous species are pathogenic to plants and animals including man. With the aim of contributing to the knowledge of the diversity and distribution of anamorphic fungi, we performed a phenotypic and molecular characterization of environmental and clinical isolates of these fungi. Based on a polyphasic taxonomy approach which included morphology, physiology and DNA sequence analyses we described the following new taxa: Cladorrhinum flexuosum, C. microsclerotigenum, Fibulochlamys chilensis, Ramophialophora humicola, Sporothrix brunneoviolacea, S. dimorphospora and Leptodiscella brevicatenata, most of which were isolated from soil. A phylogenetic study of clinical isolates of the genus Sporothrix revealed the presence of the recently described pathogen S. globosa in Mexico, Central (Guatemala) and South America (Colombia) for the first time.

The objective of this thesis was to assess the diversity and community structure of fungi in a forest plot in Ontario using a variety of field sampling and analytical methods. Three broad questions were addressed: 1) How do different measures affect the resulting view of fungal diversity? 2) Do fruiting bodies and soil rDNA sampling detect the same phylogenetic and ecological groups of Agaricomycotina? 3) Will additional rDNA sampling resolve the phylogenetic position of unclassified fungal sequences recovered from environmental sampling? Generally, richness, abundance, and phylogenetic diversity (PD) correspond and identify the same dominant fungal groups in the study site, although in different proportions. Clades with longer branch lengths tend to comprise a larger proportion of diversity when assessed using PD. Three phylogenetic-based comparisons were found to be variable in their ability to detect significant differences. Generally, the Unifrac significance measure (Lozupone et al., 2006) is the most conservative, followed by the P-test (Martin, 2002), and Libshuff library comparison (Singleton et al., 2001) with our dataset. Fruiting body collections and rDNA sampling recover largely different assemblages of fungi at the species level; however, both methods identify the same taxonomic groups at the genus-order level as well as ectomycorrhizal fungi as the dominant functional type of Agaricomycotina. This work also shows that the Soil Clone Group I (SCGI) clade is widespread in soils of diverse origins and represents a novel subphylum of Ascomycota.

The objective of this thesis was to assess the diversity and community structure of fungi in a forest plot in Ontario using a variety of field sampling and analytical methods. Three broad questions were addressed: 1) How do different measures affect the resulting view of fungal diversity? 2) Do fruiting bodies and soil rDNA sampling detect the same phylogenetic and ecological groups of Agaricomycotina? 3) Will additional rDNA sampling resolve the phylogenetic position of unclassified fungal sequences recovered from environmental sampling? Generally, richness, abundance, and phylogenetic diversity (PD) correspond and identify the same dominant fungal groups in the study site, although in different proportions. Clades with longer branch lengths tend to comprise a larger proportion of diversity when assessed using PD. Three phylogenetic-based comparisons were found to be variable in their ability to detect significant differences. Generally, the Unifrac significance measure (Lozupone et al., 2006) is the most conservative, followed by the P-test (Martin, 2002), and Libshuff library comparison (Singleton et al., 2001) with our dataset. Fruiting body collections and rDNA sampling recover largely different assemblages of fungi at the species level; however, both methods identify the same taxonomic groups at the genus-order level as well as ectomycorrhizal fungi as the dominant functional type of Agaricomycotina. This work also shows that the Soil Clone Group I (SCGI) clade is widespread in soils of diverse origins and represents a novel subphylum of Ascomycota.

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2015-05-15T13:05:30Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Tese_Roger_Fagner_Ribeiro_Melo_PPGBF.pdf: 11414504 bytes, checksum: 1988578e34e26505f95e4da204ebfbf4 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-15T13:05:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Tese_Roger_Fagner_Ribeiro_Melo_PPGBF.pdf: 11414504 bytes, checksum: 1988578e34e26505f95e4da204ebfbf4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-24 / Fungos coprófilos representam um restrito grupo de sapróbios especialmente adaptados a viver e se alimentar de excrementos de herbívoros, sendo importantes componentes de diver sos ecossistemas. Considerando como hipótese que uma alta diver sidade específica pode ser encontrada, com diferenças significativa nas comunidades sobret udo entre área de vida dos animais, este trabalho teve como objetivo conhecer a diversidade e aspectos ecológicos de fungos coprófilos em Pernambuco. Um total de 270 amostras de excrementos bovinos, caprinos e equinos, coletadas durante 20 meses, em áreas que compõem um gradiente edafoclimático indo do litoral (Recife - complexo Mata Atlântica), mais úmido, passando pelo agreste (Caruaru) até o sertão semiárido (Serra Talhada), ambos complexo Caatinga. Foram registradas 1304 ocorrências de fungos coprófilos, sendo identificadas 145 espécies, das quais 115 (79,31%) pertencem a Ascomycota, seguidas por Mucoromycotina (17; 11,72%) e, finalmente, por espécies de Basidiomycota (13; 8,27%). Saccobolus citrinus é a espécie coprófila dominante em Pernambuco, com 107 registros de ocorrência (8,23%). Podospora é o gênero mais rico, com 12 espécies identificadas. Quatro novos táxons são apresentados, incluindo três espécies e um gênero. Cinquenta e uma espécies constituem novos registros para o Brasil. Todas as espécies identificadas foram descritas, com a distribuição geográfica e registros de habitat. Fotografias e ilustrações dos espécimens e uma chave de identificação para os fungos coprófilos de Pernambuco são apresentadas. A Teoria da Estratégia é sugerida para elucidação da estrutura e da dinâmica das comunidades observadas, e as relações entre a importância relativa da competição, da tolerância a estresses e às perturbações são discutidas. O fator mais importante na composição específ ica da micobiota coprófila pernambucana é o tipo de substrato, em detrimento da área de coleta, contrariando a hipótese inicial do trabalho. Um gradiente de sibalização, menor em excrementos bovinos, intermediár io em equinos e maior em caprinos, ocasionou um gradiente de estrutura das comunidades, favorecendo a presença de formas conidiais e mucoromicetos não-piloboláceos no fim do gradiente e de formas coprófilas típicas, competitivas, no começo. As variáveis pluviométricas mostraram fraca correlação com parâmetros das comunidades. Foi realizada também revisão de 116 exsicatas de ascomicetos copróf ilos no Herbár io URM. Dessas, excetuando as 42 adições recentes revisadas, 24 tiveram identificação confirmada, 24 foram redeterminadas e 26 mostraram-se inconsistentes para revisão. Como contribuição ao conhecimento da micobiota coprófila brasileira, foi elaborado um checklist contendo os 291 nomes de espécies de fungos registradas em excrementos no Brasil, assim como chaves para identificação. / Coprophilous fungi represent a restricted group of saprobes specially adapted to live and feed on herbivore dung, being an important component of many ecosystems. Considering the hypothesis that high species diversity can be accessed, with significant differences in the communities especially bet ween the collection area, this study aimed to access the diversity and ecology of coprophilous fungi from Pernambuco. A total of 270 samples of cattle, goar and horse dung was collected for 20 months in areas that compose an edaphic and climatic gradient going from the coast (Recife - Atlantic Forest complex), more humid, through the Agreste (Caruaru) to the semi-arid Sertão (Serra Talhada), both Caatinga complex. A total of 1304 ocurrences of coprophilous fungi was recorded, with 145 species identified species, of which 115 (79.31%) belongs to Ascomycota, followed by M ucoromycotina (17; 11.72%) and finally by species of Basidiomycota (13; 8.27%). Saccobolus citrinus is the dominant coprophilous species in Pernam buco, with 107 records (8.23%). Podospora is the richest genus, with 12 identified species. Four new taxa are presented, including three species and one genus. Fifty-one species are new records for Brazil. All identified species weredescribed, with the geographic distribution and habitat records. Pictures and illustrations of specimens and an identification key for the coprophilous fungi from Pernambuco are presented. The Theory of Strategy is suggested for the understanding the structure and dynamics of the studied communities, and the relationship bet ween the relative importance of competition, stress tolerance and disturbance are discussed. The most important factor influencing specific composition of these fungi is the type of substrate, and not the collection area, as thought on the initial hypothesis. Apelletization gradient, lower in cattle dung, intermediate in horse dung and higher in goat dung caused a gradient on the community structure, favoring the presence of conidial states and nonpilobolaceous mucoromycetes at the end of the gradient and typical coprophilous species, competitive, on the begining. Variables associated with the rainfall showed little impact on the communities parameters. It was also performed a review of 116 exsiccates containing coprophilous ascomycetes in the Herbarium URM. Among these, excluding the 42 recent additions reviewed, 24 had its identification confirmed, 24 were redetermined and 26 proved inconsistent for review. As a contribution to the knowledge of the brazilian coprophilous mycobiota, a checklist was provided, containing 291 names of fungal species recorded in dung in Brazil, as well as identification keys.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T15:05:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo9436_1.pdf: 11548688 bytes, checksum: ba228e5dfb34280c2306fe8a32604f8b (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia / Entre agosto de 2007 a junho de 2010 foram coletados 1.033 espécimes da família Xylariaceae em seis unidades de conservação de Mata Atlântica na Bahia, Paraíba e Pernambuco. Foram identificados 766 espécimes (74%) distribuídos nos gêneros Annulohypoxylon, Biscogniauxia, Camillea, Hypoxylon, Kretzschmaria, Nemania, Phylacia, Rosellinia, Stilbohypoxylon, Thamnomyces e Xylaria, nos quais se inseriram 48 táxons, sendo os mais representativos A. stygium, A. truncatum e B. numularia, com frequência absoluta de 62,08%, 11,78% e 34,57%, respectivamente. Neste estudo, registram-se novas ocorrências para os estados citados bem como para o Brasil. Oito novos táxons foram estabelecidos no período do estudo e outros estão em fase descrição atualmente. Adicionalmente, fez-se exame de 727 exsicatas de Xylariaceae depositadas nos herbários brasileiros CEPEC (Bahia), FLOR (Santa Catarina), ICN (Rio Grande do Sul), INPA (Amazonas), IPA (Pernambuco), MG (Pará), PACA (Rio Grande do Sul), SP (São Paulo) e URM (Pernambuco), nos quais foram identificados 622 espécimes pertencentes a 16 gêneros: Annulohypoxylon, Biscogniauxia, Camillea, Daldinia, Hypoxylon, Jumillera, Kretzschmaria, Kretzschmariella, Leprieuria, Nemania, Phylacia, Rhopalostroma, Stilbohypoxylon, Thamnomyces, Whalleya e Xylaria. Foram encontrados 102 táxons nas exsicatas examinadas, com destaque para Xylaria (31), Hypoxylon (28) e Annulohypoxylon (10). Foram sinonimizadas duas espécies de Hypoxylon descritas por A. C. Batista (H. calyptra = H. rubiginosum; H. vitalii = Whalleya maculata). Kretzschmaria curvirima, depositada no URM como K. spinifera, é relatada pela primeira vez para o Brasil

No / Eleven species of fungi and one slime-mould are added to the previous list of fungi from Indian Ocean islands made by the authors in 2004. Two other species in the area are confirmed. Our knowledge of fungal distributions in these remote islands is extended and comments are made on some immature collections. This small collection does, however, indicate a palaeotropical element to the mycota with bias towards species found in Southeast Asia, although some have a worldwide distribution.

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2016-05-11T14:17:53Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Tese final SANTOS, MVO.pdf: 1734448 bytes, checksum: 7d9336e8259abe21e05bc5190e95d2a6 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-11T14:17:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Tese final SANTOS, MVO.pdf: 1734448 bytes, checksum: 7d9336e8259abe21e05bc5190e95d2a6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-27 / CAPEs / A Mata Atlântica destaca-se como um bioma recordista em termos de biodiversidade e endemismo. Entre os seres vivos presentes neste bioma, os fungos exercem a ciclagem de nutrientes, atividade de extrema importância para a manutenção e equilíbrio ambiental. Apesar disso, os estudos com fungos na Mata Atlântica ainda são escassos. Diante deste cenário, o presente estudo teve como objetivos: i) identificar e catalogar ascomicetos (anamórficos e teleomórficos) presentes no folhedo de Inga thibaudiana, Myrcia splendens e Pera glabrata (plantas representativas da Mata Atlântica) na Reserva Biológica de Una (REBIO-Una), município de Una, estado da Bahia, Brasil; e ii) avaliar a frequência de ocorrência, a constância e a similaridade de fungos conidiais presentes no folhedo das espécies estudadas. Quatro coletas semestrais (setembro/2011, abril e agosto/2012, janeiro/2013) foram realizadas na REBIO-Una. Cinco espécimes de cada uma das seguintes espécies: I. thibaudiana, M. splendens e P. glabrata foram identificados e marcados. Na serapilheira destas árvores coletou-se dez folhas (uma amostra composta) em diferentes estágios de decomposição de cada espécime selecionado, por coleta. Em laboratório, as amostras foram lavadas e incubadas em câmara úmida. O folhedo foi observado com um estereomicroscópio após 72 horas de incubação, por 30 dias. Lâminas dos espécimes fúngicos foram elaboradas com resina de álcool polivinílico, ácido lático e glicerol (PVLG) ou azul de algodão, e observadas em microscópio ótico para a identificação dos táxons, por meio de literatura específica. Após esse processo, os espécimes foram depositados na Coleção Micológica do Centro de Pesquisas do Cacau, Ilhéus-BA. Após a identificação das espécies fúngicas, os índices de frequência de ocorrência, constância e similaridade de fungos conidiais foram avaliados. Foram encontrados 58 táxons sobre folhedo das espécies avaliadas: três ascomicetos pertencentes a ordem Rhytismatales (Coccomyces leptosporus, Marthamyces quadrifidus e Terriera javanica) e 55 espécies de fungos conidiais. O presente estudo proporcionou o primeiro relato de Beltraniella botryospora e de T. javanica para as Américas, e de Beltraniopsis rhombispora para o Brasil. Todos os táxons encontrados estão sendo relatados pela primeira vez para as plantas e para a Reserva Biológica de Una. Com relação aos índices ecológicos, a maioria dos táxons apresentou frequência esporádica. Mais de 40% dos táxons foram classificados como constantes ou acessórios nas três plantas, porém, 53,8% dos táxons em P. glabrata apresentaram categoria acidental. O índice de similaridade demonstrou que há maior semelhança entre a composição da micota do folhedo de duas espécies (49 e 50%) do que entre o folhedo de três espécies vegetais (38%). Considerável diversidade de ascomicetos e de fungos conidiais compõem a micota decompositora do folhedo de I. thibaudiana, M. splendens e P. glabrata na Reserva Biológica de Una. / The Atlantic Forest stands out as a recordist biome in terms of biodiversity and endemism. Among the living organisms present in this biome, the fungi exert nutrient cycling, activity of extreme importance for the environmental maintenance and balance. Nevertheless, the studies with fungi in the Atlantic Forest are still scarce. Therefore, the present study aimed to: i) identify and catalog ascomycetes (anamorphic and teleomorphic) present on the leaf litter of Inga thibaudiana, Myrcia splendens and Pera glabrata (representative plants of the Atlantic Forest) in the Reserva Biológica de Una (REBIO-Una), municipality of Una, Bahia state, Brazil; and ii) evaluate the frequency of occurrence, constancy and similarity indexes of conidial fungi present on the leaf litter of the species studied. Four half-yearly surveys (september/2011, april and august/2012, january/2013) were done in the REBIO-Una. Five specimens of each one of the following species: I. thibaudiana, M. splendens and P. glabrata were identified and marked. In the litterfall of these trees were collected ten leaves (a compound sample) in different stages of decomposition of each specimen selected, for survey. In the laboratory, the samples were washed and incubated in moist chamber. The leaf litter was observed with a stereomicroscope after 72 hours of incubation, for 30 days. Slides of fungal specimens were prepared with polyvinyl alcohol, lactic acid and glycerol (PVLG) resin or cotton blue, and observed using a light microscope for the identification of the taxa, through specific literature. After this process, the specimens were deposited in the Mycological Collection of the Centro de Pesquisas do Cacau, municipality of Ilhéus, Bahia state. After the identification of fungal species, the frequency of occurrence, constancy and similarity of conidial fungi indexes were evaluated. Fifty-eight taxa were found on leaf litter of the plants evaluated: three ascomycetes belonging to the order Rhytismatales (Coccomyces leptosporus, Marthamyces quadrifidus and Terriera javanica) and 55 species of conidial fungi. The present study provided the first report of Beltraniella botryospora and of T. javanica for the Americas, and of Beltraniopsis rhombispora for the Brazil. All the taxa found are reported for the first time for the plants and for the Reserva Biológica de Una. Regarding to ecological indexes, the majority of the taxa was of sporadical frequency. More than 40% of the taxa were classified as accessory or constant in the three plants, however, 53.8% of the taxa in P. glabrata showed accidental category. The similarity index demonstrated that there is a greater resemblance between the leaf litter mycota composition of two species (49 and 50%) than among the leaf litter of three vegetable species (38%). Considerable diversity of ascomycetes and conidial fungi compose the decomposer mycota of I. thibaudiana, M. splendens and P. glabrata leaf litter in the Reserva Biológica de Una.

Background. Fungal endophytes inhabit symptomless, living tissues of all major plant lineages to form one of earth's most prevalent groups of symbionts. Many reproduce from senesced and/or decomposing leaves and can produce extracellular leaf degrading enzymes, blurring the line between symbiotrophy and saprotrophy. To better understand the endophyte saprotroph continuum we compared fungal communities and functional traits of focal strains isolated from living leaves to those isolated from leaves after senescence and decomposition, with a focus on foliage of woody plants in five biogeographic provinces ranging from tundra to subtropical scrub forest. Methods. We cultured fungi from the interior of surface-sterilized leaves that were living at the time. of sampling (i.e., dophytes), leaves that were dead and were retained in plant canopies (dead leaf fungi,eDn LF), and fallen. leaves (leaf litter.fungi,LLF) from 3-4 species of woody plants in each of five sites in. North America. Our sampling encompassed 18 plant species. representing. two families of Pinophyta.and five families of Angiospermae. Diversity and composition of fungal communities within and among leaf life stages, hosts, and sites were compared using ITS-partial L SU rDNA data. We evaluated substrate use and enzyme activity by a subset of fungi isolated'onlyfrom living tissues vs. fungi isolated only from non-living leaves. Results Across the diverse biomes and plant taxa surveyed here, culturable fungi living leays were isolated less frequently and were less diverse than those isolated from non-living leaves. Fungal communities in living leaves also differed detectably in composition from communities in dead leaves and leaf litter within focal sites and host taxa, regardless of differential weighting of rare and abundant fungi. All focal isolates grew on cellulose, lignin, and pectin as sole carbon sources, but none displayed igninolytic or pectinolytic activity in vitro. Cellulolytic activity differed among fungal classes. Within Dothideomycetes, activity differed significantly between fungi from living vs. non-living leaves, but such differences were not observed in Sordariomycetes. Discussion. Although some fungi with endophytic life stages clearly persist for periods of time in leaves after senescence and incorporation into leaf litter, our sampling across diverse biomes and host lineages detected consistent differences between fungal assemblages in living vs. non-living leaves, reflecting incursion by fungi from the leaf exterior after leaf death and as leaves begin to decompose. However, fungi found only in living leaves do not differ consistently in cellulolytic activity from those fungi detected thus far only in dead leaves. Future analyses should consider Basidiornycota in addition to the Ascomycota fungi evaluated here, and should explore more dimensions of functional traits and persistence to further define the endophytism-to-saprotrophy continuum.

Grasslands in the western United States face severe environmental threats including those brought about by climate change, such as changes in precipitation regimes and altered fire cycles; land-use conversion and development; and the introduction, establishment, and spread of non-native species. Lehmann’s lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana) was introduced to the southwestern United States in the early 1900s. Since its introduction, it has become the dominant grass in the mid-elevation grasslands of southern Arizona, including the Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER), where it has displaced native grasses including Arizona cottontop, three awns, and gramas. Like all plants in terrestrial ecosystems, this grass harbors fungal symbionts that can be important for its establishment and persistence. This thesis focuses on fungal symbionts of Lehmann’s lovegrass and has two components. First, the diversity and distributions of endophytes in Lehmann’s lovegrass are evaluated in the context of biotic and abiotic factors in the SRER. Culturing from roots and shoots of Lehmann’s lovegrass at points beneath and outside the canopy of native mesquites, which are encroaching on grasslands over time, provides insight into how a single plant species can exhibit local variation in the composition of its symbionts. Second, the thesis is used as the basis for engagement of students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through the development and implementation of classroom- and field activities centered on endophytes, which help high school students address core learning aims while also gaining real research experience. Engaging students in important questions relevant to their local environment can catalyze interest in science and help students cross the threshold into research. The contributions of such approaches with respect to learning not only fulfills key next-generation science standards and common core objectives, but provides students with a meaningful introduction to the excitement, importance, and accessibility of science.