Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Biology
Date of Award
8-2025
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Ryan Stephens
Committee Members
Arceo Gomez, Micheal Joyce, Melissa Whitaker
Abstract
Animals aid fungal dispersal by consuming fruiting bodies (e.g., truffles) and depositing spores elsewhere. Predators can act as secondary dispersers by preying on small mammals that eat truffles, although it is unclear how this dispersal may vary among species of raptors (hawks and owls) and fungal taxa. We experimentally fed four truffle taxa (with spores varying in size and wall thickness) to six raptor species (with differing gut morphology and acidity) to assess how spore viability and retention time may change between raptor casts and feces. Viability in smaller spores was more negatively affected by acidity compared to larger spores which were affected by mechanical forces in the stomach. Larger spores were also preference retained in pellets, which influenced spore retention time for some raptors. This study highlights that gut retention time and viability loss during secondary dispersal can vary based on the characteristics of both raptors and fungal spores.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Anderson, Joseph, "Raptors As Secondary Dispersers of Mycorrhizal Fungal Spores" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4588. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4588
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
