Advancing Fungal Dispersal Ecology through Traits and Data Harmonization

Join ESIIL's Fungal Dispersal Traits working group for their EDS Seminar on May 26 at 11 am MT! This talk is part of ESIIL's Working Group Showcase taking place on Tuesdays from 11-11:50 am from May 19 to June 30, 2026 where ESIIL's first cohort of working groups will share the story and legacy of their working groups.

Abstract

Dispersal is a key mechanism driving the geographic distribution of all species on Earth. However, dispersal ecology and theory are largely based on animal and plant systems, with efforts to include microbial dispersal only developing more recently. In fungi, numerous traits related to dispersal (e.g. spore and fruiting body morphology) are likely linked to fungal biogeographic patterns, but these hypotheses remain largely untested. This presentation examines the relatively uncharted discipline of fungal dispersal ecology. Will explore different methodologies to examine fungal dispersal including traits, leveraging global eDNA datasets, and LLMs. 

Speaker Bio

Cameron P. Egan is an Associate Professor at the University of Southern California and a community ecologist whose research explores plant–fungal symbioses and their role in shaping biodiversity, ecosystem function, and resilience across natural and human-modified systems. His work integrates community ecology, microbial ecology, and ecological modeling to understand how below-ground interactions influence aboveground ecological patterns, with a particular focus on mycorrhizal networks, dispersal processes, and environmental gradients. As co-PI of the fungal dispersal working group, he is excited to share the advances made through the collaboration and support provided by ESIIL (Environmental Data Science Innovation & Impact Lab).