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Professor John Cairney
John Cairney has been researching various aspects of the ecology and physiology of soil fungi, (especially those that form mycorrhizal associations) for over 25 years. His research includes investigation of how forest management practices and environmental change influence diversity and functioning in soil fungal communities, along with interactions between mycorrhizal fungi and pollutants. He also has a long-standing interest in the structure and functioning of fungal mycelial systems in soil.
John’s >148 peer reviewed journal papers/book chapters have been widely cited and his research at UWS has been funded by a range of ARC Discovery, Linkage and Linkage International grants. He has collaborated with a number of groups nationally and internationally, and currently has ARC-funded collaborations with colleagues at Griffith University, the University of Western Australia and the James Hutton Institute, UK. John has been at UWS since 1994 and, among other things, has served as Head of the Department of Biological Sciences at UWS Nepean (1995-98) and Director of the Centre for Plants and the Environment (2007-11). He is on the Editorial Boards of Fungal Biology, Fungal Ecology and Journal of Soils and Sediments, and is a Member of the ARC College of Experts.
Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise
Mycology; Microbial Ecology; Terrestrial Ecology; Forest and Woodlands Soils; Ecosystem Adaptation to Climate Change
Grants / Current Projects
Synthetic natural gas and biochar from biomass for energy services in remote communities and soil carbon sequestration
Co-Researchers: Professor Dongke Zhang, Professor Zhihong Xu, Professor John Cairney, Dr Chengrong Chen, A/Professor Hong Yang, Professor Vishnu K Pareek
Partner/Funding Body: Australian Research Council, Linkage Grant
Period: 2010-2015
Plant : fungal symbioses in Australian forests - new perspectives using laser microdissection
Co-Researchers: Professor Ian Anderson
Partner/Funding Body: Australian Research Council, Discovery Grant
Period: 2010-2012
How will different mycorrhizal fungal species respond to climate change?
Co-Researchers: Associate Professor Ian Anderson
Partner/Funding Body: University of Western Sydney International Research Initiatives Scheme
Period: 2009-2010
Development of a laser microdissection microscopy approach for identification of plant cell-inhabiting fungi
Co-Researchers: Associate Professor Ian Anderson, Professor David Tissue, Professor Jann Conroy
Partner/Funding Body: University of Western Sydney Research Infrastructure Funds Scheme
Period: 2009
Future climate change: consequences for decomposition and pathways of carbon flow through rhizosphere fungal communities
Co-Researchers: Associate Professor Ian Anderson, De Zhihong Xu, Dr Colin Campbell
Partner/Funding Body: Australian Research Council, Linkage International Grant
Period: 2008-2010
Fingerprints of global climate change and forest management on rhizosphere carbon and nutrient cycling
Co-Researchers: Dr Z Xu, Professor Sune Linder, Professor Ram Oren, Doctor Chengrong Chen, Dr S Boyd
Partner/Funding Body: Australian Research Council, Discovery Grant
Period: 2006–2009
Novel strategy for optimising fertilizer input coupled with organic residue management for sustainable reconstruction of jarrah forest ecosystem
Co-Researchers: Dr M Tibbett
Partner/Funding Body: Australian Research Council, Linkage Grant, University of Western Australia, Worsely Alumina
Period: 2006–2008
Awards and Recognition
- Editor Mycological Research
- Member of the editorial board Fungal Ecology
Selected Publications
Book Chapters
Cairney JWG, (2006). Mycorrhizal and Endophytes Fungi of Epacrids (Ericaceae), in Microbial Root Endophytes, Schulz B, Boyle C, Seiber T, (Eds), Springer, Berlin, Germany, pp 247–260
Lindahl B, Finlay R, Cairney J, (2005) Enzymatic Activities of Mycelia in Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities, in The Fungal Community - Its Organization and Role in the Ecosystem, Dighton J, White JF, Oudemans P, (Eds), CRC Press-Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL, pp 331-348
Journal Articles
Cairney JWG, (2012) 'Extramatrical mycelia of ectomycorrhizal fungi as moderators of carbon dynamics in forest soil', Soil Biology, vol.47, no.4, pp 198-208
Drigo B, Anderson IC, Kannangara GSK, Cairney JWG, Johnson D, (2012) 'Rapid incorporation of carbon from ectomycorrhizal mycelial necromass into soil fungal communities', Soil Biology & Biochemistry, vol.49, pp 4-10
Johnson D, Martin F, Cairney JWG, Anderson IC, (2012) 'The importance of individuals: Intraspecific diversity of mycorrhizal plants and fungi in ecosystems', New Phytologist, vol.194, no.3, pp 614-628
Cairney JWG, (2011), 'Ectomycorrhizal fungi: the symbiotic route to the root for phosphorus in forest soils', Plant and Soil, vol.344, nos. 1-2, pp 51-71
Curlevski NJA, Artz RRE, Anderson IC, Cairney JWG, (2011) ‘Response of soil microbial communities to management strategies for enhancing Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) establishment on heather (Calluna vulgaris) moorland’, Plant and Soil, vol.339, nos.1-2, pp 413-424
Hitchcock CJ, Chambers SM, Cairney JWG, (2011) ‘Genetic population structure of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Pisolithus microcarpus suggests high gene flow in south-eastern Australia’, Mycorrhiza, vol.21, no.2, pp 131-137
Curlevski NJA, Xu ZH, Anderson IC, Cairney JWG, (2010) ‘Converting Australian tropical rainforest to native Araucariaceae plantations alters soil fungal communities’ Soil Biology and Biochemistry, vol.42, no.1, pp 14-20
Curlevski NJA, Xu ZH, Anderson IC, Cairney JWG, (2010) ‘Diversity of soil and rhizosphere fungi under Araucaria bidwillii (Bunya pine) at an Australian tropical montane rainforest site’, Fungal Diversity, vol.40, no.1, pp 12-22
Curlevski NJA, Xu Z, Anderson IC, Cairney JWG, (2010) ‘Soil fungal communities differ in native mixed forest and adjacent Araucaria cunninghamii plantations in subtropical Australia’, Journal of Soils and Sediments, vol.10, no.7, pp 1278-1288
Artz RRE, Reid E, Anderson IC, Campbell CD, Cairney JWG, (2009) ‘Long term repeated prescribed burning lowers laccase activity yet increases fungal laccase diversity in forest soils’, FEMS Microbiology Ecology, vol.67, no.3, pp 397-410
Bastias BA, Anderson IC, Rangel-Castro JI, Parkin PI, Prosser JI, Cairney JWG, (2009) ‘Influence of repeated prescribed burning on incorporation of 13C from cellulose by forest soil fungi as determined by RNA stable isotope probing’, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, vol.41, no.3, pp 467-472
Curlevski NJA, Chambers SM, Anderson IC, Cairney JWG, (2009) ‘Identical genotypes of an ericoid mycorrhiza-forming fungus occur in roots of Epacris pulchella (Ericaceae) and Leptospermum polygalifolium (Myrtaceae) in an Australian sclerophyll forest’, FEMS Microbiology Ecology, vol.67, no.3, pp 411-420
Campbell CD, Cameron CM, Bastias BA, Chen C, Cairney JWG, (2008) ‘Long term repeated burning in a wet sclerophyll forest reduces fungal and bacterial biomass and responses to carbon substrates’, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, vol.40, no.9, pp 2246-2252
Chambers SM, Curlevski NJA, Cairney JWG, (2008) ‘Ericoid mycorrhizal fungi are common root inhabitants of non-Ericaceae plants in a south-eastern Australian sclerophyll forest’, FEMS Microbiology Ecology, Vol.65, no.2, pp 263-270
Izumi H, Cairney JWG, Killham K, Moore E, Alexander IJ, Anderson IC, (2008) 'Bacteria associated with ectomycorrhizas of slash pine (Pinus elliottii) in south-eastern Queensland, Australia', FEMS Microbiology Letters, vol.282, no.2, pp 196-204
Anderson IC, Bastias BA, Genney DR, Parkin PI, Cairney JWG, (2007) ‘Basidiomycete fungal communities in Australian sclerophyll forest soil are altered by repeated prescribed burning’, Mycological Research, vol.111, pp 482-486
Anderson IC, Cairney JWG, (2007) ‘Ectomycorrhizal fungi: exploring the mycelial frontier’, FEMS Microbiology Reviews, vol.31, pp 388-406
Bastias BA, Anderson IC, Xu ZH, Cairney JWG, (2007) ‘RNA- and DNA-based profiling of soil fungal communities in a native Australian eucalypt forest and adjacent Pinus elliotti plantation’, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, vol.39, pp 3108-3114
Bougoure DS, Parkin PI, Cairney JWG, Alexander IJ, Anderson IC, (2007) ‘Diversity of fungi in hair roots of Ericaceae varies along a vegetation gradient’, Molecular Ecology, vol.16, pp 4624-4636
Cairney JWG, Bastias BA, (2007) ‘Influences of fire on forest soil fungal communities’, Canadian Journal of Forest Research, vol.37, pp 207-215
Tibbett M, Cairney JWG, (2007) 'The cooler side of mycorrhizas: their occurrence and functioning at low temperatures', Canadian Journal of Botany, vol.85, pp 51-62
Bastias BA, Huang ZQ, Blumfield T, Xu Z, Cairney JWG, (2006) ‘Influence of repeated prescribed burning on the soil fungal community in an eastern Australian wet sclerophyll forest’, Soil Biology & Biochemistry, vol.38, pp 3492–3501
Bastias BA, Xu Z, Cairney JWG, (2006) ‘Influence of long-term repeated prescribed burning on a mycelial communities of ectomycorrhizal fungi’, New Phytologist, vol.172, pp149–158
Bougoure D, Cairney JWG, (2006) ‘Chitinolytic activities of ericoid mycorrhizal and other root-associated fungi from Epacris pulchella (Ericaceae)’, Mycological Research, vol.110, pp 328–334
Hitchcock C J, Chambers SM, Cairney JWG, (2006) ‘Development of polymorphic simple sequence repeat markers for Pisolithus microcarpus’, Molecular Ecology Notes, vol.6, pp 443–445
Bougoure D, Cairney J, (2005) 'Assemblages of ericoid mycorrhizal and other root-associated fungi from Epacris pulchella (Ericaceae) as determined by culturing and direct DNA extraction from roots.', Environmental Microbiology, vol.7, no.6, pp 819-827
Bougoure D, Cairney J, (2005) 'Fungi associated with hair roots of Rhododendron lochiae (Ericaceae) in an Australian tropical cloud forest revealed by culturing and culture-independent molecular methods.', Environmental Microbiology, vol.7, no.11, pp 1743-1754
Bougoure J, Bougoure D, Cairney J, Dearnaley J, (2005) 'ITS-RFLP and sedquence analysis of endophytes from Acianthus, Caladenia and Pterostylis (Orchidaceae) in southeastern Queensland, Australia', Mycological Research, vol.109, pp 452-460
Cairney J, (2005) 'Basidiomycete mycelia in forest soils: dimensions, dynamics and roles in nutrient distribution', Mycological Research, vol.109, no.1, pp 7-20
Chambers S, Hitchcock C, Cairney J, (2005) 'Ectomycorrhizal mycobionts of Pisonia grandis on coral cays in the Capricorn-Bunker group, Great Barrier Reef, Australia', Mycological Research, vol.109, no.10, pp 1105-1111
Anderson I, Cairney J, (2004) 'Diversity and ecology of soil fungal communities: increased understanding through the application of molecular techniques', Environmental Microbiology, vol.6, no.8, pp 769-779
Midgley D, Chambers S, Cairney J, (2004) 'Distribution of ericoid mycorrhizal endophytes and root-associated fungi in neighbouring Ericaceae plants in the field', Plant and Soil, vol.259, pp 137-151
Midgley D, Chambers S, Cairney J, (2004) 'Inorganic and organic substrates as sources of nitrogen and phosphorus for multiple genotypes of two ericoid mycorrhizal fungal taxa from Woollsia pungens and Leucopogon parviflorus (Ericaceae)', Australian Journal of Botany, vol.52, pp 63-71
Midgley D, Chambers S, Cairney J, (2004) 'Utilisation of carbon substrates by multiple genotypes of ericoid mycorrhizal fungal endophytes from eastern Australian Ericaceae', Mycorrhiza, vol.14, pp 245-251
Orlovich D, Cairney J, (2004) 'Ectomycorrhizal fungi in New Zealand: current perspectives and future directions', New Zealand Journal of Botany, vol.42, pp 721-738
Williams A, Chambers S, Davies P, Mclean C, Cairney J, (2004) 'Molecular investigation of sterile root-associated fungi from Epacris microphyllar R. Br. (Ericaceae) and other epacrids at alpine, subalpine and coastal heathland sites', Australasian Mycologist, vol.23, no.3, pp 94-104
