Mycorrhizae—fungi that live on plant roots—are essential to tree growth and provide nutrients and water in exchange for sugars. Mycorrhizal fungi enhance soil carbon storage and tree pathogen resistance. New England forests are dominated by arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) and ectomycorrhizae (EcM), depending on tree species present. Forests dominated by EcM or AM differ in seedling survival, nutrient availability, and how soil stores carbon. As climate change and invasive pests shift tree species in New England forests, mycorrhizae will also change. With loss of ash trees from emerald ash borer and decline of sugar maple, the Northern Forest will lose two AM-associated trees, and the Northern Forest may become more dominated by EcM, with cascading effects on the ecosystem services New England forests provide.

NSRC researchers will examine how the legacy of dominant mycorrhizal associations affects how forests regenerate, cycle nutrients, and sequester carbon following timber harvesting. In this field experiment, researchers will investigate how changes in soil fungal communities and nutrient availability affect planted and naturally-regenerated seedling survival and growth in AM- and EcM-dominated forest stands after logging. They will investigate how timber harvesting differently affects long-term soil carbon storage in EcM- vs AM-dominated forest stands.

This project will establish a site for long-term monitoring of forest regeneration and carbon storage and data will be publicly available through the Northeastern Forest Regeneration Network. Outcomes will help guide foresters and land managers as they consider how tree mycorrhizal associations could impact forest regeneration, nutrient retention, and long-term carbon storage in their management planning.

Products

Fitch, A, S. Goldsmith, A. D’Amato, E. Legge, A. Adamchak, D. Gannon, A. Kosiba, K. Evans, C. Hicks Pries. (2026). Mycorrhizal legacy mediates seedling success following timber harvesting in Northeastern forests. Ecological Applications. https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eap.70281

Legge, E, A. Fitch, S. Goldsmith, A. D’Amato, K. Evans, C. Hicks Pries. (2025). Negative Effects of belowground competition outweigh potential benefits of arbuscular mycorrhizal facilitation for seedling success in a managed temperate hardwood forest. The Canadian Journal of Forest Research. https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/cjfr-2024-0259

Extension Document: Fitch, A., E. Legge, C.E. Hicks Pries, A. Kosiba, T. D’Amato, K. Evans (partner). 2023. Mycorrhizal fungi in northeastern forest ecosystems. Access it at: https://www.uvm.edu/d10-files/documents/2024-10/mycorrhizal-fungi-02a-opt.pdf

Fitch, Amelia. 2023. Mycorrhizal fungi mediate forest regeneration following timber harvesting in Northeastern forests in Mycorrhizal fungi mediate aboveground-belowground interactions in forest ecosystems. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Access it at: https://digitalcommons.dartmouth.edu/dissertations/159/

Legge, Eva. 2023. Access to belowground networks modulates seedling success under different forest management practices. [Bachelor’s Thesis]. Dartmouth College.

Legge, E, A. Fitch, S. Goldsmith, A. D’Amato, K. Evans, C. Hicks Pries. (2025). Negative Effects of belowground competition outweigh potential benefits of arbuscular mycorrhizal facilitation for seedling success in a managed temperate hardwood forest. The Canadian Journal of Forest Research. https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/cjfr-2024-0259

Legge, E., Fitch, A., Goldsmith, S., and Hicks Pries, C. (2022). Mycorrhizal-mediated silviculture: the benefits of mycelial networks for forest regeneration [Poster presentation]. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Montreal, QC, 2022.

Legge, E., Fitch, A., Goldsmith, S., Hicks Pries, C. (2023). Mycorrhizal-mediated silviculture: The benefits of arbuscular mycorrhizal networks for forest regeneration [Conference presentation]. New England Society of American Foresters (NESAF) meeting, March 2023, Nashua, NH.

Legge, E., Fitch, A., Goldsmith, S., Hicks Pries, C. (2023). Access to belowground networks mediates seedling success under different forest management practices [Poster presentation]. 32nd Annual Karen E. Wetterhahn Science Symposium, May 2023, Hanover, New Hampshire.

Legge, E., Fitch, A., Goldsmith, S., Hicks Pries, C., Vander Yacht, A., Fernandez, C. (2023). Mycorrhizal network mediation of seedling success varies by species and management [Poster presentation]. Northern Hardwoods Conference, August 2023, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.

Legge, E., Fitch, A., Goldsmith, S., Hicks Pries, C. (2024). Mycorrhizal Mediated Silviculture: Initial Results and Future Research Avenues [Conference presentation]. CUNY Conference on Environmental Science and Studies, March 2024, Syracuse, New York.

Legge, E., Fitch, A., Goldsmith, S., Hicks Pries, C. (2024). Mycorrhizal network mediation of seedling success varies by species and management [Poster presentation]. New York Society of American Foresters (NYSAF) Conference, February 2024, Syracuse, New York.

Legge, E., Fitch, A., Goldsmith, S., Hicks Pries, C. (2024). Mycorrhizal Silviculture in the Northeast: Initial Results and Future Research Avenues [Poster presentation]. New England Society of American Foresters (NESAF) Conference, March 2024, Burlington, Vermont.

Legge, E., Hicks Pries, C, Fitch, A., Goldsmith, S. (2023). Mycorrhizal Mediated Silviculture: How Fungi form our Forests and Inform Management.[Invited Seminar]. Corinth Town Hall, March 6, 2023, Corinth, Vermont.

Fitch, A., Legge, E., Goldsmith, S., D’Amato, T., Evans, K., Hicks Pries, C. (2022). The potential for mycorrhizal mediated forestry [Poster presentation]. Society of American Foresters. Baltimore, MD, 2022.

Fitch, A., Legge, E., Goldsmith, S., Hicks Pries, C. (2023). Mycorrhizal fungi mediate forest regeneration in Northeastern forests [Conference presentation]. Ecological Society of America Conference, August 2023, Portland, Oregon.

Monroe, M, Liu, M., Fitch, A., Hicks Pries, C. (2025). Investigating the role of mycorrhizal fungi in carbon management after a timber harvest [Poster presentation]. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, December 2025, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Workshop: Fitch, A., Legge, E., Hicks Pries, C. Mycorrhizal Forestry Workshop. (Half-Day Workshop) University of Vermont, Extension Forestry, June 2023, Burlington, VT.

Invited Seminar: Legge, E., Hicks Pries, C, Fitch, A., Goldsmith, S. Mycorrhizal Mediated Silviculture: How Fungi form our Forests and Inform Management. Corinth Town Hall, March 6, 2023, Corinth, Vermont.

Webinar: Fitch, A., Legge, E. Mycorrhizal fungi and forestry in Northeastern forests. The webinar outlined the foundations of the mycorrhizal-plant symbiosis and explored how mycorrhizal fungi affect forest diversity, regeneration, and soil functions. Participants received 1.0 CEF credit through the Society of American Foresters. The webinar can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLZutwy5kts

Invited Seminar: Hicks Pries, C. How the mycorrhizal symbiosis shapes forests. Vermont Woodlands Annual Meeting and Conference, April 12, 2025, Randolph, Vermont.

Fitch, A. Legge, E., Chabica, A., Hicks Pries, C. Exploring the Role of Mycorrhizal Connections in Supporting Forest Regeneration and Diversity. New England Society of American Foresters Quarterly, Volume 83, Issue 3. July 2022. (article starts on page 8).

Student Involvement:

Sarah Goldsmith
Josephine Duffy
Eva Legge, Matthew Monroe, Anna Chabica, Audrey Adamchak, Mackenzie Liu, BS (all)