I am a PhD studying an enigmatic group of fungi termed "mycorrhizal" that associate with plants' roots to help them acquire nutrients from soil. I study these fungi in their native habitat as well as in controlled greenhouse experiments using primarily molecular methods to understand 1) how environmental factors affect fungal communities and 2) how fungal communities affect nutrient cycling between soil and plants. Currently my work is focused on the fungal communities of quaking aspens growing in the arid west.