Dr. Ben Sikes, Associate Professor of Microbial Ecology at the University of Kansas, joins us to shed light on the fascinating relationships between fungi and fire. Learn of the interconnection between plants created by mycorrhizal networks (AKA the “wood wide web”), how fire regimes drive changes in fungal communities, the mechanisms of carrying out fungal research, and much more.

• Bond, W. J., & Keeley, J. E. (2005). Fire as a global ‘herbivore’: the ecology and evolution of flammable ecosystems. Trends in ecology & evolution, 20(7), 387-394.

• Hopkins, J. R., et al. (2021). Fungal community structure and seasonal trajectories respond similarly to fire across pyrophilic ecosystems. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 97(1), fiaa219.

• Hopkins, J. R., et al. (2020). Frequent fire slows microbial decomposition of newly deposited fine fuels in a pyrophilic ecosystem. Oecologia, 193, 631-643.

• Hansen, P. M., et al. (2019). Recurrent fires do not affect the abundance of soil fungi in a frequently burned pine savanna. Fungal ecology, 42, 100852.

• Fox, S., et al. (2022). Fire as a driver of fungal diversity—A synthesis of current knowledge. Mycologia, 114(2), 215-241.

• Dao, V. Q., et al. (2022). Substrate and low intensity fires influence bacterial communities in longleaf pine savanna. Scientific reports, 12(1), 20904.

Dr. Ben Sikes Contact/Website, Academic Profile

Dr. Carolina Baruzzi wildlandmgmt, Academic Profile

Dr. Marcus Lashley DrDisturbance, Academic Profile

Have suggestions for future episodes? Send us your feedback! (here)

Check out our newest podcast, Wild Turkey Science!

Enroll now in our free, online fire course. Available to all.

This podcast is supported by listener donations - thank you for being a part of this effort.

For more information, follow UF DEER Lab on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube.

Music by Dr. David Mason and Artlist.io

Produced and edited by Charlotte Nowak