Priority effects of foliar fungal endophytes in leaf litter decomposition

Advisor: Gerald M. Cobián

My research focuses on how microbial communities, specifically fungal endophytes, influence carbon cycling in ecosystems. These microbes play a crucial part in the greenhouse gas balance by decomposing organic matter, enhancing ecosystem resilience, and affecting food chains and biodiversity. By examining foliar fungal endophytes in leaf litter, the research seeks to understand how these fungi, as early colonizers, can shape the structure and function of microbial communities through priority effects, thereby impacting the decomposition rate of leaf litter and the carbon cycle.

Priority effects refer to the phenomenon where the order or timing of species arrival significantly influences their interactions and the subsequent establishment, growth, or reproduction of later-arriving species. This concept is crucial in understanding how initial species presence can shape community composition and ecosystem functions over time. This understanding is vital for informing climate change mitigation and sustainable ecosystem management, as well as filling gaps in our knowledge about microbial contributions to ecosystem functioning.