Ribosomal Database Project (RDP; http://rdp.cme.msu.edu/ ) provides the research
community with aligned and annotated rRNA gene sequence data, along with tools to allow …

Aridland ecosystems cover about one‐third of terrestrial environments globally, yet the extent
to which models of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling, developed largely from studies of …

Endophytes are microorganisms that live within plant tissues without causing symptoms of
disease. They are important components of plant microbiomes. Endophytes interact with, and …

Taxonomic and phylogenetic fingerprinting based on sequence analysis of gene fragments
from the large-subunit rRNA (LSU) gene or the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region is …

Fungal taxonomy and ecology have been revolutionized by the application of molecular
methods and both have increasing connections to genomics and functional biology. However, …

Arid ecosystems are a patch mosaic of plants and biological soil crusts that have been described
as islands and mantles of fertility, respectively. To determine whether these patches are …

Mycorrhizal fungi are essential for the germination of orchid seeds. However, the specificity
of orchids for their mycorrhizal fungi and the effects of the fungi on orchid growth are …

In arid ecosystems, abiotic processes facilitate the physical and chemical degradation of
plant litter to the extent that decomposition models that use climatic and litter composition …

… We also isolated pure cultures from roots by following the methods of Porras-Alfaro and
Bayman (55). Roots were selected if they were (1) connected to green leaves, (2) had root hairs, …

Fungi are key organisms in many ecological processes and communities. Rapid and low
cost surveys of the fungal members of a community can be undertaken by isolating and …