April 2026 AMS virtual seminar: Solomon Maerowitz-McMahan - on mycorrhizal fungi's post-fire resilience!
- ausmycsoc
- Apr 8
- 1 min read
We invite you to attend our upcoming AMS virtual seminar. This month, we're delighted to feature Solomon Maerowitz-McMahan, a PhD Candidate at the Western Sydney University.
What underpins mycorrhizal fungal resilience to fire?
Solomon Maerowitz-McMahan
LHawkesbury Institute for the Environment,
Western Sydney University
Thursday, 23 April 2026
12 pm (AEST) / 2 pm (NZST)
Summary
Quantifying fire effects on below-ground communities is essential for understanding post-fire ecosystem recovery. Mycorrhizal fungi regulate vegetation dynamics and soil processes, yet their post-fire resilience remains poorly understood across diverse landscapes, as current knowledge relies heavily on single-system studies. Here I describe how fire and ecosystem recovery influence mycorrhizal fungi across 14 Australian forest, woodland and shrubland ecosystems, using burnt and unburnt plots. Through high-throughput sequencing, diversity metrics and joint species distribution modelling, I quantify fire effects on fungal community composition and traits. Community structure shifted significantly post-fire, with increases in richness and a shift toward specific survival strategies: fire favoured stress-tolerant Ascomycota, AM fungi and taxa with below-ground fruiting bodies. Ecosystems with longer expected fire intervals also supported greater fungal occurrence. These findings support a trait-based framework for integrating below-ground symbionts into fire management.
About Solomon
Solomon is a PhD candidate at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, under the supervision of Jeff Powell that submitted his thesis in January and is currently waiting on confirmation . His PhD research examined mycorrhizal fungal responses to fire across diverse ecosystems in Australia. He is broadly interested in understanding how fungi respond to disturbance and in applying this research to inform land management practices.
Check out Solomon's LinkedIn:
The discussion around mycorrhizal fungi's resilience is indeed reflective of a larger narrative in ecology. The implications for understanding complex below-ground networks directly link to how we manage landscapes, particularly in fire-prone regions. Integrating research findings into practical land management is essential if we aim to improve https://hbbusinesshub.co.nz/ ecosystem resilience The Pokies should not be overlooked in this discourse, as they represent both community engagement and reflection on ecological priorities.
The exploration of mycorrhizal fungi's post-fire resilience highlights an underappreciated aspect of ecosystem recovery. Understanding these dynamics is crucial since mycorrhizal fungi play a significant role in nutrient cycling and plant health. The implications for land management practices, especially in fire-prone areas, are profound and merit further investigation https://www.tandooripalace.co.nz regarding Royal Reels of biodiversity and resilience.