The effects of climate change across soil boundaries: Linking mycorrhizal-plant-herbivore-parasite interactions

Fungal benefits to plant partners will become even more important in the future, as AMF can alleviate many of the abiotic stressors caused by climate change. However, increases in temperature and drought may negatively affect AMF, resulting in a decoupling of these mutualistic associations. This decoupling may reduce plant quality with cascading effects that impact aboveground ecological processes, such as herbivore survival and immune function, and potentially modifying herbivore-parasite interactions. Using milkweeds, monarchs, and a monarch parasite (OE) as a model system, I will assess AMF as indirect mediators of OE virulence and monarch health and survival.