The relationships among mycorrhizal fungi, small mammals, and trees in the Pacific Northwest.
Your paper should examine the mutualistic relationship between mycorrhizal fungi and trees in the Pacific Northwest, and the role that small mammals play in dispersal of spores of hypogeous mycorrhizal fungal spores. You are welcome, but not required, to consider the implications of these relationships to forest management.
Your paper should cite the following papers and a minimum of 5 others:
Claridge, A. W., J. M. Trappe, S. J. Cork, and D. L. Claridge. 1999. Mycophagy by small mammals in the coniferous forests of North America: Nutritional value of sporocarps of Rhizopogon vinicolor, a common hypogeous fungus. Journal of Comparative Physiology - B, Biochemical, Systemic, & Environmental Physiology. 169:172-178.
Maser, C., J. M. Trappe, and R. A. Nussbaum. 1978. Fungal-small mammal interrelationships with emphasis on Oregon coniferous forests. Ecology 59:799-809.
North, M., J. M. Trappe, and J. Franklin. 1997. Standing crop and animal consumption of fungal sporocarps in Pacific Northwest forests. Ecology 78:1543-1554.