Erik Lilleskov

Title: Research Ecologist and Director's Representative
Unit: Climate, Fire, and Carbon Cycle Sciences
Previous Unit: Belowground Processes that Sustain Productivity & Ecosystem Function in Northern Forests
Address: Northern Research Station
410 MacInnes Drive
Houghton, MI 49931-1199
Phone: 906-482-6303; ext. 18
E-mail: Contact Erik Lilleskov

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Education

• Cornell University, Ph.D., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 1999
• University of Vermont, M.S., Botany, 1991
• Harvard College, B.A., Anthropology, 1982

Civic & Professional Affiliations

Ecological Society of America, Mycological Society of America

Current Research

I study how communities of soil organisms and the ecosystems they inhabit influence each other, and how these interactions are affected by human-induced changes such as air pollution or invasive species. In my research I am trying to understand how communities of symbiotic, tree-root associated fungi, called mycorrhizal fungi, are altered by changing atmospheric chemistry, in particular increased nitrogen deposition, ozone, and carbon dioxide. I am especially interested in whether changing communities of mycorrhizal fungi buffer or increase the effects of environmental change. In addition, I am studying the effect of invasive soil organisms on forest ecosystems. By their consumption and mixing of soil organic matter, changes in movement of soil water, alteration of soil food webs, and consumption of roots, they have large effects on forests. We are studying both the distribution and effects of non-native soil organisms including non-native earthworms, isopods, weevils, ground beetles, termites and ants.

Why is This Important

Soil organisms have a strong influence on the way ecosystems function. They process soil organic matter, releasing nutrients critical for forest productivity, and affect greenhouse gases via storage of organic carbon. Bacteria, fungi and soil invertebrates also make up a large part of the biodiversity that resides in them. Hundreds of species of symbiotic fungi are associated with each tree species. Most of the wild mushrooms seen in northern forests are the fruiting structures of these symbiotic fungi, providing a window into belowground diversity, contributing to both above- and belowground food webs. Many insects, salamanders, small mammals, birds and their predators rely on soil organisms as links in their food webs. Alterations in the abundance and diversity of soil organisms can thus have ripple effects throughout forest ecosystems. Soil organisms also provide important non-timber forest products such as wild edible and medicinal mushrooms. Thus, it is critical that we understand how soil organisms interact with our changing forest ecosystems.

Future Research

Here is a sampling of future project ideas: understand the effect of suites of invasive soil organisms on native biodiversity and ecosystem function; define the role of mycorrhizal fungal presence and community composition and structure in soil carbon formation; partition the roles of saprotrophic and ericoid mycorrhizal fungi in peatland carbon cycling.

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