Background
Fungal fruiting is a seasonal phenomenon regulated by large-scale trends in climate, which is why the timing and extent of annual waves in mushroom production across latitudinal and altitudinal gradients vary between years. Phenological events, such as fungal fruiting and autumn leaf coloration, are influenced by climate change, but with differences in how individual species respond. With climate change, there is the potential to disrupt the timing of fruit body production for individual fungal species, which could have consequences for the species' distributions, as well as for their roles within natural systems.
Observational data are very helpful for elucidating phenological trends. Composed of multisource data, for example from both digitized museum records and online observations, much of the data become funneled into a global data repository. Observational species data can be combined with other, openly available sources of environmental data to help us understand historical to future phenological trends. From such studies, we know that the fungal fruiting season is extended now compared to a half century earlier. We are aware of interactive impacts of climate, latitude and elevation on phenological trends. Species-specific trends to elevational gradients suggest differences to where species are now. However, there are many topics left open to investigate. For example, understanding fungal fruiting phenology in the context of climate change and species migrations - of both the fungi as well as the trees they often associate with. Broadly covering topics in fungal fruiting phenology, latitudinal and elevational gradients, and biotic interactions, this MSc position focuses on fungal fruiting phenology in the context of climate change.
Research goal:
In this MSc thesis, you will work with overall and/or species-specific fungal fruiting trends to understand their distributional shifts with climate change, and how they are impacted by biotic interactions with plant hosts and substrates. Using observational data, you will model the timing of fungal fruiting, and the potential for changes under current and future climates.
What you’ll learn:
This project has two primary foci for scientific knowledge-building: fungal ecology and data science.
The work is primarily quantitative and computational, although complementary field or lab-culturing components can be discussed as a minor component. Working with observational species data and open-source environmental data will develop skills in data management, formatting and integration. Running statistical analyses, including but not limited to distribution modeling, will develop skills in data analysis and visual output (such as graphing). Scripting will be conducted primarily in R. Communication skills (spoken and written) will be strengthened by presentations and writing material, which will target different audiences (for example, the general public and the scientific community; informal and formal outlets).
This project lends well to future biological career paths in data science, quantitative ecology, nature conservation and management, and statistical analyses.
If you are interested:
The project will be supervised by Drs. Carrie Andrew (Researcher, Natural History Museum, UiO) and H?vard Kauserud (Professor, Blindern, UiO), providing the MSc student with opportunities to interact and learn with peers and scientists in both UiO locations.
For an example of a similar type of MSc project (in terms of a dual fungal ecology and data science focus), see Rust?en et al. (2023) for the final published results.
Please contact Carrie Andrew (c.j.andrew@nhm.uio.no) with any questions or inquiries you may have about this posting, as well as for the potential for other similar MSc opportunities bridging fungal ecology and data science.