>95% of ecology examines <5% of species; I research the role in ecosystem function of the remaining 95% of biodiversity (fungi, microbes, soil fauna).
Qualifications
Research Interests
I am an ecosystem ecologist focussing on the development and application of molecular tools to determine the role of fungal communities in community and ecosystem-level outcomes. My main research interests spans the breadth of fungi, including mycorrhizas, wood decay fungi, and pathogens. I have also applied similar approaches to soil invertebrates, plant communities, bacteria, and oomycetes.
One application is in the invasion of woody plants, including the invasion of wilding conifers. Using molecular identifications of fungi on tree roots, I’ve shown that trees are largely co-invading with non-native fungi, transforming ecosystem function belowground.
Recent Publications
- Ramana JV., Tylianakis JM., Ridgway HJ. and Dickie IA. (2023) Root diameter, host specificity and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community composition among native and exotic plant species. New Phytologist http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nph.18911.
- Albornoz FE., Ryan MH., Bending GD., Hilton S., Dickie IA., Gleeson DB. and Standish RJ. (2022) Agricultural land-use favours Mucoromycotinian, but not Glomeromycotinian, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi across ten biomes. New Phytologist 233(3): 1369-1382. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nph.17780.
- Allen WJ., Bufford JL., Barnes AD., Barratt BIP., Deslippe JR., Dickie IA., Goldson SL., Howlett BG., Hulme PE. and Lavorel S. (2022) A network perspective for sustainable agroecosystems. Trends in Plant Science 27(8): 769-780. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2022.04.002.
- Chapman H. and Abiem I. (2022) Factors limiting plant recruitment in a Tropical Afromontane Forest. Biotropica http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/btp.13179.
- Dickie IA., Sprague R., Green J., Peltzer DA., Orwin K. and Sapsford S. (2022) Applying ecological research to improve long-term outcomes of wilding conifer management. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 46(2) http://dx.doi.org/10.20417/nzjecol.46.23.