Ine-Susanne Hopland Methlie

• Lü, Dabao Sun; Methlie, Ine-Susanne Hopland; Sønstebø, Jørn Henrik; Andersen, Anneli; Peris, David & Maurice, Sundy Ursula MaryJanne [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). Postglacial History of a Widespread Wood-Decaying Fungus in Europe Suggests Migration out of Multiple Refugia Followed by Admixture. Molecular Ecology. ISSN 0962-1083. 34(22), p. 1–14. doi: 10.1111/mec.70053. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  While postglacial migration patterns have been well-studied in plants and animals in Europe, the same is not true for microorganisms such as fungi, and it remains unclear whether fungi have followed the same postglacial migration trajectories. In this study, we infer the postglacial history of the widespread wood-decay fungus Trichaptum abietinum in Europe. We investigate whether this fungus resided in multiple glacial refugia, as observed in many plants and animals, and how it migrated following the retreat of the ice. Population genomic analyses of T. abietinum suggest at least two glacial refugia in Europe: a southern refugium extending from Portugal to the Caucasus (potentially formed by several earlier distinct refugia), an eastern refugium and a potential third western refugium. Expansion from these refugia followed by migration and secondary contact has led to a complex genomic pattern of what we call the Mediterranean, Boreal, Atlantic and Central European admixed groups. From the southern and potential western refugia there have likely been northwards expansions resulting in the Mediterranean and Atlantic groups, while the Boreal group probably expanded westwards from the eastern refugium. A contact zone is present in Central Europe, where the Mediterranean and Boreal groups are admixing. In these admixed individuals, the second half of their largest scaffold is entirely inherited from the Boreal group, indicating either strong selection or genomic incompatibilities. In Scandinavia, the Atlantic and Boreal groups are in close contact but with limited admixture. Tajima's D and analyses of linkage disequilibrium decay support a recent history of contraction and expansion of this fungus in Europe. We conclude that the postglacial migration patterns in T. abietinum resemble those observed in several plants and animals, suggesting multiple glacial refugia followed by admixture during northward and westward expansions.

• Asplund, Johan; Nordén, Jenni; Kjønaas, O. Janne; Madsen, Rieke Lo; Lunde, Lisa Fagerli & Birkemoe, Tone [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2024). Long term effects of forest management on forest structure and dead wood in mature boreal forests. Forest Ecology and Management. ISSN 0378-1127. 572. doi: 10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122315. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The history of forestry in Fennoscandia spans five centuries, with clear-cutting being the dominant practice since the mid-20th century. This has led to a significant transformation of the forest landscape. In this study we investigated long-term effects of clear-cutting on forest structure and dead wood volumes. We established twelve pairs of spruce forest sites in southeastern Norway, each pair constituting of a mature, previously clear-cut stand and its near-natural counterpart with similar edaphic factors. The near-natural stands had 2.8 times higher volumes of dead wood and a larger proportion of dead wood in late stages of decay. The near-natural stands had on average 36.8 ± 9.1 m3 ha− 1 of downed dead wood and 24.1 ± 6.2 m3 ha− 1 of standing dead wood. Corresponding numbers for the previously clear-cut stands were 10.2 ± 2.8 m3 ha− 1 and 11.9 ± 3.7 m3 ha− 1 . Forests with lower volumes of dead wood often also had lower connectivity of old spruce forests, which potentially have further negative effects on biodiversity. Furthermore, near-natural stands displayed greater tree size heterogeneity, resulting in a wider variation in light conditions. While no difference was observed in living tree volume, we found only weak evidence for higher basal area in the previously clear-cut stands, which had a higher stem density with more slender stems and shorter crowns. Our findings suggest that managed forests do not develop structures typical of near-natural forests before they become mature for logging. We stress the importance of a thorough site selection for studies of management effects, as forest management history may be confounded with productivity and other edaphic factors. Experimental designs like ours are vital for testing how differences in structure and deadwood volumes, driven by forest management, translate into variations in biodiversity, carbon sequestration and ecosystem functioning in future studies Coarse woody debris Clear-cutting forestry Norway spruce Structural heterogeneity

• Kauserud, Håvard; Justad, Tor Arne; Vindenes, Yngvild; Methlie, Ine-Susanne Hopland; Sønstebø, Jørn Henrik & Skrede, Inger [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). Limited evidence of local adaptation of growth and decomposition rates in the widespread wood-decay fungus Fomitopsis pinicola. Fungal ecology. ISSN 1754-5048. 70. doi: 10.1016/j.funeco.2024.101353. Full text in Research Archive
• Peris, David; Lü, Dabao Sun; Kinneberg, Vilde Bruhn; Methlie, Ine-Susanne Hopland; Dahl, Malin Stapnes & James, Timothy Y. [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2022). Large-scale fungal strain sequencing unravels the molecular diversity in mating loci maintained by long-term balancing selection. PLoS Genetics. ISSN 1553-7390. 18(3). doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010097. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Balancing selection, an evolutionary force that retains genetic diversity, has been detected in multiple genes and organisms, such as the sexual mating loci in fungi. However, to quantify the strength of balancing selection and define the mating-related genes require a large number of strains. In tetrapolar basidiomycete fungi, sexual type is determined by two unlinked loci, MATA and MATB. Genes in both loci define mating type identity, control successful mating and completion of the life cycle. These loci are usually highly diverse. Previous studies have speculated, based on culture crosses, that species of the non-model genus Trichaptum (Hymenochaetales, Basidiomycota) possess a tetrapolar mating system, with multiple alleles. Here, we sequenced a hundred and eighty strains of three Trichaptum species. We characterized the chromosomal location of MATA and MATB, the molecular structure of MAT regions and their allelic richness. The sequencing effort was sufficient to molecularly characterize multiple MAT alleles segregating before the speciation event of Trichaptum species. Analyses suggested that long-term balancing selection has generated trans-species polymorphisms. Mating sequences were classified in different allelic classes based on an amino acid identity (AAI) threshold supported by phylogenetics. 17,550 mating types were predicted based on the allelic classes. In vitro crosses allowed us to support the degree of allelic divergence needed for successful mating. Even with the high amount of divergence, key amino acids in functional domains are conserved. We conclude that the genetic diversity of mating loci in Trichaptum is due to long-term balancing selection, with limited recombination and duplication activity. The large number of sequenced strains highlighted the importance of sequencing multiple individuals from different species to detect the mating-related genes, the mechanisms generating diversity and the evolutionary forces maintaining them.

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• Lü, Dabao Sun; Methlie, Ine-Susanne Hopland; Vera-Castellanos, M; Henrik, Sønstebø Jørn; A, Andersen & Helleland, K [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2024). Investigating the history and consequences of secondary contact between divergent populations of Trichaptum abietinum in Europe. Full text in Research Archive
• Ronold, Eivind Kverme; Maurice, Sundy; Torp, Vilde Åvesland; Kostich-Nilsen, Celina Alexandria; Methlie, Ine-Susanne Hopland & Schmidt, Frida [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2024). USING eDNA TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF CLEAR-CUTTING FORESTRY ON FUNGAL DIVERSITY IN BOREAL SPRUCE FORESTS. Full text in Research Archive
• Andersen, Anneli; Lü, Dabao Sun; Helleland, Kathleen Theresia; Methlie, Ine-Susanne Hopland; Castellanos, Michelle Vera & Kauserud, Håvard [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2023). Investigating the extent, history and outcomes of secondary contact between divergent populations of Trichaptum abietinum in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Peris, David; Lü, Dabao Sun; Kinneberg, Vilde Bruhn; Methlie, Ine-Susanne Hopland; Dahl, Malin Stapnes & James, Timothy Y. [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2022). Long-term balancing selection in a white-root fungi. Full text in Research Archive
• Navarro, David Peris; Lü, Dabao Sun; Kinneberg, Vilde Bruhn; Methlie, Ine-Susanne Hopland; James, Timothy & Kauserud, Håvard [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2022). Ancient mating alleles maintained by balancing selection in basidiomycete fungi. Full text in Research Archive
• Lü, Dabao Sun; Methlie, Ine-Susanne Hopland; Navarro, David Peris; Kauserud, Håvard & Skrede, Inger (2022). Postglacial history of a widespread forest fungus in Europe: Migration out of multiple refugia followed by secondary admixture. Full text in Research Archive
• Birkemoe, Tone; Skrede, Inger & Methlie, Ine-Susanne Hopland (2022). Mindre mat for kresne biller. https://forskning.no/. Full text in Research Archive
• Peris, David; Lü, Dabao Sun; Kinneberg, Vilde Bruhn; Methlie, Ine-Susanne Hopland; Dahl, Malin Stapnes & James, Timothy Y. [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2021). Northern hemisphere fungal specimens unravel dynamic and polymorphic nature of mating loci. Full text in Research Archive
• Braut-Solheim, Astrid; Baalsrud, Helle Tessand; Skrede, Inger & Methlie, Ine-Susanne Hopland (2024). A population genomic study of the effect of clear-cut forestry on the beetle Gyrophaena boleti. Norges miljø- og biovitenskapelige universitet (NMBU). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The boreal forest is the home to several thousands of species, and about 2/3 of the forests are under management, mostly for timber production. In Norway only two percent of the forests are natural, and only 21% of this area is protected. The main logging strategy in Norway is clear-cutting followed by planting, altering the composition of both living trees and dead wood. Clear-cut forests are in particular danger of losing biodiversity. Gyrophaena boleti is a small rove beetle inhabiting bracket fungi in these forests, living in both mature previously clear-cut and near-natural forests. How the different management strategies are affecting the genetic diversity of this beetle is currently unknown. Utilizing pooled whole genome sequencing to do a population genomic study of G. boleti from nine paired forest sites, we show that G. boleti in the clear-cut forests tend to have slightly lower genetic diversity than G. boleti from near-natural forests. Although generally the genetic diversity is high. We also found little genome-wide population structure between sites with paired forest stands. However, we found peaks of differentiation between populations in different forest sites and stands which could be genomic regions involved in local adaptation. This is the first genomic study of the species G. boleti, contributing to the knowledge of how small, specialized insect species are affected by habitat change. This understanding could help support the development of conservation strategies and management practices of the boreal forests.

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