Fogel And States DEB-9400871 Hypogeous fungi (truffles and false truffles) will be surveyed on forest islands in the Great Basin and Arizona. These are among the least known species, and the western U.S. is potentially a region of high diversity. Additionally, the Hypogeous fungi are keystone species, critical to the survival of the important coniferous forests. These fungi also provide an ideal system for studying mutualistic relationships. They from obligate, ectomycorrhizal associations with forest trees and are dependent on rodents fro spore dispersal. Hypogeous fungi can exist only in the scattered forest islands in the region east of the Sierra Nevada-Cascade ranges; thus, this provides an opportunity to explore speciation and biogeography among fungi. The data will be useful in identifying truffles and false truffles for establishing ectomycorrhizae on tree seedling destined for out planting on calcareous soils, as dietary sources for small mammals, and for understanding factors for maintaining large rodent populations for endangered predators.
