Meet the UMCA Faculty and Staff

Johann Bruhn, Ph.D.

108 Waters Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
(573) 882-1471
bruhnj@missouri.edu
http://plantsci.missouri.edu/faculty/bruhn.htm

Fungi are among the most influential organisms in forest communities. Nearly all plants require mutualistic root associations with mycorrhizal fungi to survive (e.g., truffle fungi). Another diverse group of fungi is indispensable as nutrient recyclers by decomposing the leaves and wood (e.g., the edible shiitake, oyster, and wine-cap Stropharia mushrooms). Some of these fungi (e.g., the wood decay fungi Armillaria and Heterobasidion) have the ability to begin recycling plants even before they die! Still other fungi have become so specialized that they can only cause disease of living trees (e.g., the oak wilt fungus)! I am interested in improving our understanding of the ecology of these fungi and developing tools for their management. My current research highlights the cultivation of specialty fungi in agroforestry and the ecology and epidemiology of Armillaria in forest decline.

Selected Publications and Presentations

• Bruhn, J.N., Wedén, C., Emerich, D.W., Kremer, R., Friedrichsen, C., Zambonelli, A., and Barbieri, E.. 201X. Studies of Bacteria Isolated from Tuber aestivum (syn. T. uncinatum) Truffles and Mycorrhizas. Proceedings of the Third Congress of the Tuber aestivum/uncinatum European Scientist Group (TAUESG), 7 November 2011, Nancy, France. (Accepted).
• Bruhn, J.N., Mihail, J.D., and Pruett, G.E. 2012 online. Truffle seedling production method has long-term consequences for tree growth and root colonization. Agroforestry Systems (DOI 10.1007/s10457-012-9588-3).
• Baumgartner, K.., Baker, B.R., Korhonen, K., Zhao, J., Hughes, K.W., Bruhn, J., Bowman, T., and Bergemann, S.E. 2012. Evidence of natural hybridization among homothalic members of the basidiomycete Armillaria mellea sensu stricto. Fungal Biology 116:677-691.
• Bruhn, J.N., and Hall, M. 2011. Burgundy Black Truffle Cultivation in an Agroforestry Practice. Agroforestry in Action AF1015 - 2011. 20 p.
• Bruhn, J.N., Pruett, G.E., and Mihail, J.D. 2010. Progress toward Burgundy truffle cultivation in Missouri, USA : Discovery of native Tuber spp. Pages 716-721 in: Atti, 3º Congresso Internazionale Di Spoleto Sul Tartufo. Spoleto, Italy, 25-28 November, 2008. Communita Montana dei Monti Martani, Serano e Subasio. 866 p.
• Baumgartner, K., Travadon, R., Bruhn, J., and Bergemann, S. 2010. Contrasting patterns of genetic diversity and population structure of Armillaria mellea sensu stricto in the eastern and western United States. Phytopathology 100:708-718.
• Bruhn, J.N., Abright, N., and Mihail, J.D. 2010. Forest farming of wine-capped Stropharia mushrooms. Agroforestry Systems 79:267-275.
• Bruhn, J.N., Pruett, G.E., and Mihail, J.D. 2009. Progress toward truffle cultivation in the central USA. 5th International Workshop on Edible Mycorrhizal Mushrooms, Chuxiong, Yunnan, PRC, 27-29 August 2007. Acta Botanica Yunnanica, Supplement XVI:52-54.
• Bruhn, J.N., and Mihail, J.D. 2009. Forest farming of shiitake mushrooms: Aspects of forced fruiting. Bioresource Technology100:5973-5978.
• Bruhn, J.N., Mihail, J.D., and Pickens, J.B. 2009. Forest farming of shiitake mushrooms: An integrated evaluation of management practices. Bioresource Technology 100:6472-6480.
• Pruett, G.E., Bruhn, J.N., and Mihail, J.D. 2009. Greenhouse production of Burgundy truffle mycorrhizae on oak roots. New Forests 37:43-52.
• Pruett, G.E., Bruhn, J.N., and Mihail, J.D. 2008. Temporal dynamics of ectomycorrhizal community composition on root systems of oak seedlings infected with Burgundy truffle. Mycological Research 112:1344-1354.
• Bruhn, J.N. 2008. La trufficulture aux États-Unis. In: G. Chevalier (ed.), La culture de La truffe dans Le monde. Actes du colloque, Brive-La-Gaillarde, France, 2 Février 2007. Le Causse Corrézien. Pages 219-223.
• Bruhn, J.N., and Hall, M. 2008. Growing shiitake mushrooms in an agroforestry practice. Agroforestry in Action, AF1010 - 2008. 12 p.
• Linzer, R.E., Otrosina, W.J., Gonthier, P., Bruhn, J.N., Laflame, G., BussiSrres, G., and Garbelotto, M. 2008. Inferences on the phylogeography of the fungal pathogen Heterobasidion annosum, including evidence of interspecific horizontal genetic transfer and of human-mediated, long-range dispersal. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 46: 844-862.
• Mihail, J.D., and Bruhn, J.N. 2007. Bioluminescence is widespread within the Kingdom of Fungi. Opera Mycologica 1: 28-33.
• Pruett, G.E., Bruhn, J.N., and Mihail, J.D. 2007. Colonization of pedunculate oak by the Burgundy truffle fungus is greater with natural than with pelletized lime. Agroforest. Syst.72: 41-50.
• Mihail, J.D., and Bruhn, J.N. 2007. Dynamics of bioluminescence by Armillaria gallica, A. mellea, and A. tabescens. Mycologia 99:341-350.
• Mihail, J.D., Bruhn, J.N., and Bonello, P.E. 2007. Spatial and temporal patterns of morel fruit body production. Mycological Research 111:339-346.
• Bruhn, J.N. 2007. How widespread is the pecan truffle (Texas truffle)? The Pecan Grower 18(4):50-51.
• Bruhn, J.N., Pruett, G.E., and Williams, A.J. 2006. The pecan truffle (Tuber lyonii Butters syn. T. texense Heimsch) - First observations from Missouri, USA, placed in the context of the literature. Page 156 In: Abstracts ICOM5, 5th International Congress on Mycorrhizae, , 23-27 July 2006, Granada, Spain.
• Mihail, J.D., and Bruhn, J.N. 2005. Foraging behaviour of Armillaria rhizomorph systems. Mycological Research 109:1195-1207.
• Bruhn, J. N. 2005. Update on the pecan truffle, Tuber lyonii. In: L. Lombardini (comp), Proceedings of the Pecan Scientists Meeting, Branson, MO, 5-6 June 2005. Dept of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M Univ. Pages 55-61.
• Bruhn, J. N., Dey, D. C., Kromroy, K. K., Mihail, J. D., Kabrick, J. M, and Wetteroff Jr., J. J. 2005. Armillaria root disease affects coppice regeneration of Quercus spp. in upland Missouri Ozark forests. Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Root Rot Diseases of Forest Trees, Poznan and Bialowiesca, Poland, 15-22 August 2004. Phytopathologica Polonica.
• Bruhn, J.N., and Mihail, J.D. 2003. Opportunistically pathogenic root rot fungi - Armillaria species. Pages 337-346 In: Hanson, P., and S.D. Wullschleger (eds.), North American Temperate Deciduous Forest Responses to Changing Precipitation Regimes. Springer-Verlag, New York.
• Bruhn, J.N., Wetteroff, J.J., Jr., and Haugen, L. 2003. Survival of oak root systems following frill girdle herbicide treatment for oak wilt control. Pages 544 - 550 In: Van Sambeek, J.W., Dawson, J.O., Ponder, F. Jr., Loewenstein, E.F., and J. Fralish (eds.), 13th Central Hardwoods Forest Conference. USDA For. Serv. GTR-NC-234.
• Bruhn, J.N., Wetteroff, J.J., Jr., Mihail, J.D., Jensen, R.G., and Pickens, J.B. 2002. Harvest-associated disturbance in upland Ozark forests of MOFEP. Pages 130-146 In: Shifley, S.R. and J.M. Kabrick (eds.), Proceedings of the Second Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Symposium: Post treatment results of the landscape experiment. USDA For. Serv. GTR-NC-227.
• Mihail, J.D., Bruhn, J.N., and Leininger, T.R. 2002. The effects of moisture and oxygen availability on rhizomorph generation by Armillaria tabescens in comparison with A. gallica and A. mellea. Mycological Res. 106:697-704.
• Blankenheim, Z., Adams. G., and Bruhn, J.N. 2001. Oak wilt in Michigan. Michigan State University Extension, Extension Bulletin E-2764. 8 p.
• Bruhn, J.N., Kozak, M.E., and Krawczyk, J. 2000. Woodland specialty mushrooms: who grows them and what are the problems? In L. Van Griensven (ed), Science and cultivation of edible fungi: 535-542. Rotterdam: Balkema.
• Bruhn, J.N., Wetteroff, J.J., Jr., Mihail, J.D., Kabrick, J.M., and Pickens, J.B. 2000. Distribution of Armillaria species in upland Ozark Mountain forests with respect to site, overstory species composition and oak decline. Forest Pathology 30:43-60.