Macrofungal Biodiversity and the Maple Sugarbush: Building a Baseline for Vermont�s Iconic Ecosystem
Griffith, Emma
Griffith, Emma
Citations
Altmetric:
License
License
Abstract
Maple sugaring is a rapidly expanding land use in North America and a dominant agricultural practice in Vermont, yet little is known about its impacts on the forest ecosystems that support it. This project sought to build foundational knowledge of macrofungal biodiversity in the sugarwoods, as one component of a broader multi-taxon biodiversity study at UVM's Proctor Maple Research Center (PMRC). Macrofungi, a functional grouping of fruiting body-producing ascomycetes and basidiomycetes, are critical for nutrient cycling and decay. It was hypothesized that unsugared stands would display greater macrofungal species richness and abundance relative to stands with sugaring infrastructure in close proximity. Sporocarps were surveyed in 100 m� subplots centered within 12 stratified randomly selected 400 m� plots, comprising 6 sugared and 6 unsugared plots arranged in adjacent pairs. Specimens were documented by species, substrate, morphology, and quantity, with identification via microscopy and spore printing. Plot data were analyzed in R to evaluate fungal richness and abundance, and their relationships with tree species richness and coarse woody debris (CWD) volume. Surveys yielded a mean richness of 9.08 species per plot, providing a baseline fungal inventory. Fungal species richness was significantly higher in unsugared plots (mean = 12.33) than sugared plots (mean = 5.83; t-test, p = 0.044), with unsugared plots producing significantly more fruiting bodies (Wilcoxon, p = 0.041). No significant relationship was detected between tree species richness and fungal richness (r = 0.163, p = 0.612), nor between CWD volume and fruiting body abundance (R� = 0.102, p = 0.369). This work establishes a baseline and sampling framework upon which long-term monitoring can be built through repeated surveys and more plots. As maple sugaring expands across the Northeast, characterizing its effects on macrofungal biodiversity and community composition is crucial to inform sustainable management in this economically important land use.
Description
Date
1/1/2026
Student Status
Senior (Graduating in 2026)
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type of presentation
Poster
Collections
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Citation
DOI
Advisor(s)
Department
Program/Major
Biology
College/School
College of Arts and Sciences
Organization
Research Category
Life Science