Benjamin E. Wolfe Current CV

Ecology and Evolution of Symbiosis For my PhD research, I am using the mushroom-forming genus Amanita to understand evolutionary and ecological processes that drive symbiotic interactions between species. I am also involved with ongoing research in the lab on the ecology and evolution of the introduced ectomycorrhizal fungus, Amanita phalloides. Do you know of sites on the East Coast of North America where Amanita phalloides grows? Tell us about them.
Invasive Plants and Soil Biota Although there are many examples of how exotic plants alter aboveground communities, we know relatively little about the impacts of plant invasions on soil communities. In collaboration with researchers at the Harvard Forest and Boston University, I am examining how the invasive plant garlic mustard (Alliaraia petiolata) interacts with native fungal communities of North American forests. Recent Publications: Wolfe, BE, VL Rodgers, KA Stinson and A Pringle.  2008.  The invasive plant Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) inhibits ectomycorrhizal fungi in its introduced range. Journal of Ecology 96: 777-783. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2745.2008.01389.x (abstract) Wolfe BE, and JN Klironomos. 2005. Breaking new ground: soil communities and exotic plant invasion. BioScience 55: 477-487. (pdf) Stinson, KA, SA Campbell, JR Powell, BE Wolfe, RM Callaway, GC Thelen, SG Hallett, D Prati, and JN Klironomos. 2006. Invasive plant suppresses the growth of native tree seedlings by disrupting belowground mutualisms. PLoS Biology 4: 727-731. (pdf)
Ecology of Mycorrhizal Fungi I am broadly interested in the interactions between plants and mycorrhizal fungi. For my MSc research with John Klironomos, I examined the spatial ecology of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Recent Publications: Wolfe BE, MC Rillig, DL Mummey, and JN Klironomos.  2007.  Small-scale spatial heterogeneity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a calcareous fen. Mycorrhiza 17: 175-183. (pdf). Wolfe BE, PA Weishampel, and JN Klironomos. 2006. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and water table affect wetland plant community composition. Journal of Ecology 94: 905-914. (pdf) Klironomos JN, MF Allen, MC Rillig, JS Piotrowski, S Makvandi-Nejad, BE Wolfe, and JR Powell.  2005.  Abrupt rise in atmospheric CO2 overestimates community response in a model plant-soil system. Nature 433: 621-624. (pdf) Wolfe BE, BC Husband, and JN Klironomos. 2005. Effects of a belowground mutualism on an aboveground mutualism. Ecology Letters 8:218-223. (pdf)