Rooted in Symbiosis | Jacob Hansel | Kickapoo Valley Reserve

Talk Description: Temperate forests are important ecosystems in the Northern Hemisphere which provide habitat for many species, improve water quality, sequester carbon dioxide, and provide humans with lumber and additional food recourses. The study takes place in the Kickapoo Valley Wisconsin which harbors a unique unglaciated geology, various histories of land use and management, a virgin stand of trees at Wild Cat Mountain State Park, and numerous relicts stands of Tsuga canadensis (Eastern Hemlock). Eastern Hemlocks and numerous tree species in the Kickapoo Valley rely upon ectomycorrhizal fungal root symbionts for water and nutrient acquisition, pathogen resistance, and resource sharing. The trees in turn provide the fungi with sugars as an energy source. This relationship is different from the majority of mycorrhizal plant/fungi relationships due to the unique physiology of the fungi living on the outside of the tree’s fine roots, hence the prefix ecto- meaning outside. This study seeks to analyze factors of ectomycorrhizal fungi and tree diversity with a special focus on Eastern Hemlocks including community composition, soil texture and chemical composition, location, slope, and proximity to streams, creeks, and rivers. The upmost care was taken to respect and preserve this ancestral homeland of the Ho-Chunk Nation during sampling. Presenter: Jacob Hansel is a graduate student at University of Wisconsin- La Crosse studying ectomycorrhizal trees and fungi in the Kickapoo Valley and teaches introductory biology labs. During the summer of 2023 he was one of six recipients of UWL’s Deans Distinguished Fellowship. He earned a BS in Biology-Plant and Fungal Concentration at UW-La Crosse in 2022. Jacob has attended college at UW-Milwaukee, UW-Waukesha, Costal Carolina Community College, and University of North Dakota. Prior to beginning his academic career, Jacob served honorably in the United States Marine Corps for nine years as a Meteorological and Oceanographic Analyst Forecaster with two tours to Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The Ralph Nuzum Lecture Series is brought to you by the Ralph E Nuzum Kickapoo Reforestation Fund through the UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Friends of Kickapoo Valley Reserve, and supported by Badger Talks.