Fungal Spillover in Costa Rica

Despite the importance of tropical forests, these ecosystems are the most threatened by global change. One of the main threats faced by tropical forests is fragmentation due to the rise of agriculture. Habitat fragmentation can lead to the "spillover" of biotic agents, such as fungal pathogens, across habitat boundaries.

 

The Bachelot Lab is particularly interested in how fungal pathogens from coffee plantations might influence adjacent tropical forests. To address this question, we combine field observations, field experiments, DNA analyses and theoretical modeling.