Horticulture & Related FieldsDrew Nisip

Patterns of Seed Fungal Endophyte Diversity and Composition Across the Production-Restoration Continuum in Native Prairie Grasses and Forbs

Preserving genetic diversity is a known and practiced cornerstone of successful ecological restoration, but the microbial community associated with restored plants remains an often-overlooked part of that process. I will examine how seed-associated fungal endophyte communities change as native plant seeds move from wild source populations into cultivated production fields and ultimately into restoration sites. Using ITS amplicon sequencing, I will test whether seed production acts as a microbial filter that alters endophyte diversity and community composition across eight commonly used restoration species. By evaluating whether these shifts are consistent across plant functional groups and species, I aim to connect plant microbiome ecology with applied restoration by asking how restoration pipelines may reshape the hidden microbial partners important for plant establishment and ecosystem recovery.

School: University of Louisville