Macrofungal biodiversity in coastal temperate rainforests of British Columbia

Coastal temperate rainforests hold a high biodiversity of living organisms, including many fungal species. The
diversity of fungi remain poorly described in forests of BC. In the proposed study, we will document these species
and improve our understanding of ecosystem complexity by gathering essential baseline information on fungal
communities. This will be useful for applied research and for the long-term monitoring these forests, particularly
when considering future climate change impacts. This project has two broad objectives that will target the
macrofungal community in forest ecosystems. The first objective will be to conduct a systematic sampling of these
fungi in a coastal forest ecosystem to identify species and describe their biodiversity. The second objective will be
to select a subset of identified fungi and isolate mycelial cultures. This fungal culture collection will provide material
for future research projects that will study and describe novel bioactive compounds produced by these fungi.

Faculty Supervisor:

Will Hintz;Paul De La Bastide

Student:

Hannah Bentsen;Celeste Ramsey

Partner:

Kapoose Creek Organics Ltd.

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Victoria