Using Fungal DNA Barcoding to Identify Fungal Species in a James River Park System Soil Microbiome

Abstract

Fungi in the soil have the ability to form mutualistic relationships with plant roots and improve the way they resist a variety of plant diseases and abiotic stressors, influencing the survivability of the plants. The James River Park System (JRPS) is home to a variety of ecosystems that support diverse plant and fungal populations, including native plants and invasive plants. Therefore, it is important to identify what is present in the soil microbiome. The purpose of this project is to isolate fungal sequences from soil samples collected in the JRPS to identify what fungal species are present in the JRPS soil microbiome, aiding a larger, ongoing study exploring the relationships between soil microbial communities in areas where the invasive ivy is and is not present. Using DNA barcoding, several species of Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes, and Zygomycetes were identified from soils in two areas of the JRPS, one where invasive ivy was removed and another where ivy was present. Ascomycete and Zygomycete fungi were identified in both soils, while Basidiomycete fungi were primarily identified from the soils in the English ivy-free area.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1487/thumbnail.jp