University of Waterloo

Up to 99% of the energy available to stream communities consists of terrestrial plant detritus (leaves, needles, twigs). Aquatic hyphomycetes, a heterogeneous group of aquatic fungi, are an indispensable link in the food web between this detritus and stream invertebrates, which in turn provide the basic diet for many fish (to learn more about stream ecology, click here).The annual production of the fungi is similar to that of bacteria and invertebrates, but little is known about their taxonomy, biology and ecology. One of my objectives is to document the diversity of aquatic hyphomycetes in Maritime streams, both by conventional (microscope-based) and molecular (DNA-based) techniques. At the same time, I am interested in factors that control or regulate fungal numbers and productivity. A more thorough understanding of fungal ecology will allow us to evaluate the potential impact of human activities - will they result in declining fungal diversity? if so, what are the impacts on ecosystem functions performed by these fungi? Of particular interest are the effects of logging, heavy metal pollution, atmospheric nitrogen deposition and global warming. This is done by a combination of lab studies and field manipulation of Canadian streams as well as by comparisons with streams in Germany, Portugal, and India. To understand how complex patterns in nature arise from the simple events typically found in lab experiments will require computer modeling.
  A related interest concerns the role of fungi in wetlands, especially in salt marshes of the Bay of Fundy and in freshwater marshes dominated by cattails. An excellent overview of this topic can be found here.
  I have also been collaborating with Dr. Rick Langler and Dr. Steve Westcott (both Chemistry Department, Mt. A.), by screening newly synthesized compounds for antifungal activities.

Grimmett IJ, Smith KA, Bärlocher F. 2012. Tar-spot infection delays fungal colonization and decomposition of maple leaves. Freshwater Science 31: 1088-1095.

Duarte S, Seena S, Bärlocher F, Cássio F, Pascoal C. 2012. Preliminary Insights into the Phylogeography of Six Aquatic Hyphomycete Species. PLoS ONE 7(9): e45289. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0045289

Sridhar, K.R., Beaton, M.  & Bärlocher, F. 2011. Fungal Propagules and DNA in Feces of Two Detritus-Feeding Amphipods. Microbial  Ecology 61:31-40.

Bärlocher F, Marvanová L. 2010. Aquatic fungi (Mycota) of the Atlantic Maritime Ecozone. In: Assessment of Species Diversity in the Atlantic Maritime Ecozone (Eds. D.F. McAlpine, I.M. Smith) NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Canada.(PDF)

Department of Biology
Mount Allison University
63B York Street
Sackville, New Brunswick
Canada  E4L 1G7