Background
Invasive fungi have been historically most studied in relation to plant pathology, as species which reduce the health, production &/or aesthetic qualities of agricultural and forestry products have direct impacts to human health and economies. However, fungal invasion biology is much broader in scope and, ultimately, an ecological topic. Non-native fungal species are introduced into natural systems, where they might disrupt ecosystems through alterations in species interactions, nutrient cycling and carbon dynamics. In addition, they may respond differently to climate change than native species, questioning their impacts into the future.
Sometimes fungal species are introduced on purpose, for example to produce edible mushrooms. Other times, they are accidentally or inadvertently introduced, such as “stowaways” on natural substrates that are often associated with landscaping and gardening. A third way species may be introduced is through range shifts and/or expansions, in this case related to climate and/or land-use changes. Once introduced, the species might flourish and spread, thereby becoming invasive.
Online observations of non-native fungal species are increasingly helpful for identifying new and/or expanding species that have become, or may be becoming, invasive. The golden oyster mushroom (Pleurotus citrinopileatus) was noted in such a way, with its spread across parts of North America now being logged in iNaturalist. The degree to which, with continued climate change, Norwegian natural lands will become suitable to non-native fungal species is an open question that you, as a MSc student, could contribute ecological knowledge towards.
Research goal:
In this MSc thesis, you will work with selected invasive fungal species that have been introduced to Norway and have gone through range expansions. Using historical observational data, you will map and model how the species have spread, and their potential for further expansion 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.