Graduate research compares modern and historic orchid-fungi relationships across Wisconsin, Michigan

Graduate research compares modern and historic orchid-fungi relationships across Wisconsin, Michigan

Sadie Hickey is spending her summer trekking through Wisconsin's wetlands and forests - through poison sumac, towering sedges and other rugged terrain. The College of Science and Health Graduate Research Fellow is in search of an elusive native wildflower: the pink lady's slipper orchid.

It's a long way from the sunny, dry climate of her native California. But Hickey chose to pursue graduate studies at UW-La Crosse because of its nationally-respected reputation in plant and fungal biology. She also credits the legacy of the late UWL mycologist Tom Volk, whose research helped establish the university as a destination for fungal studies.

"I'm thankful for the research environment here, and I'm thankful that I don't have to go to a big city for it," Hickey says.

Beginning her second year in UWL's biology graduate program this fall, Hickey is studying one of nature's hidden partnerships.

Her master's thesis compares pink lady's slipper orchids growing in different habitats across Wisconsin and Michigan while also looking back nearly a century. By extracting DNA from preserved orchid specimens collected in the 1930s and stored in herbaria - scientific collections of preserved plants used for research - she can study not only the orchid's DNA over time but also traces of the fungi living within it.

Those fungi are far more than invisible passengers. Fungi recycle nutrients, support healthy forests and form underground partnerships that help many plants survive. In the case of the pink lady's slipper orchid, they're essential from the very beginning. Unlike most plants, the orchid's tiny seeds cannot germinate on their own. Instead, they rely on fungi to provide nutrients until the young plant can grow independently.

Her research could provide one of the first opportunities to compare historical and modern fungal communities associated with orchids, helping scientists better understand what this native plant needs to survive.

"This is proof of concept because this type of use of herbarium specimens is fairly new," Hickey explains. "Can we use these specimens to make inferences about past conditions and compare them with modern data? No one has done this with orchids before."

The project recently earned Hickey the John Thomson Research Award from the Botanical Club of Wisconsin. Her work is also supported through UWL's Research, Service and Educational Leadership (RSEL) grant program.

Working with nearly century-old specimens

Much of Hickey's research depends on botanists who collected and preserved plants decades ago.

Today's technology allows scientists to extract DNA from specimens gathered nearly 100 years ago - something those original collectors could never have imagined. Yet Hickey worries future scientists may have fewer opportunities because many plant observations are now documented only with photographs.

"I want to contribute to the body of physical knowledge we have," Hickey says. "There has been a big decrease in people collecting physical specimens because it's so easy to take photos. But a photo can't replace a physical specimen."

That's why Hickey carries a traditional plant press into the field, preserving specimens from a variety of species for the UWL Herbarium so that they may one day help answer scientific questions researchers haven't even thought to ask.

"I love Sadie's enthusiasm for science, for biology, and it's especially fun to work with her on a project that blends her interests in botany and mycology," says UWL Associate Professor of Biology Adam Schneider, her advisor. "I've been impressed with Sadie's resilience when faced with the natural challenges and setbacks of scientific research."

So far, Hickey has revisited about 17 historic collection sites across Wisconsin to compare modern orchids with their 1930s counterparts. She also collects soil samples to better understand how fungal communities vary among habitats.

While she doesn't expect dramatic changes in the orchid's fungal partners over time, the work could reveal how stable these ecological relationships have remained across generations.

The research also fills an important gap in scientific knowledge. Few studies have examined fungal relationships in pink lady's slipper orchids, particularly in the Upper Midwest, says Hickey. Better understanding fungal associations with the orchid can also help lead to better predictions about habitat suitability or restoration potential, adds Schneider.

"We spend a lot of time thinking about endangered species," Hickey says. "But it's also important to prevent species from becoming rare in the first place by better understanding their ecology."

Hickey hopes the research experience will prepare her to earn a doctoral degree and eventually become a college biology professor.

Along with conducting research, she has gained classroom experience through a graduate assistantship, teaching undergraduate biology courses while pursuing her master's degree.

"I love teaching," Hickey says. "I don't think it's common to graduate from a master's program with two years of teaching experience, and that's what I'm going to do. This program has been a great opportunity, and I've been very well supported."

For Hickey, the work ultimately comes back to protecting the ecosystems that support all life.

"The more biodiversity we have in an ecosystem, the more stable it is," she says. "The more plants and fungi we have in Wisconsin, the better we're able to support life here."

Learn more

UWL biology graduate program

Learn more about UWL graduate studies in biology. Students will also find opportunities for graduate assistantship positions and other forms of financial assistance to pay for schooling on the financial aid for biology graduate students webpage.

Graduate Research Fellowship

Graduate students in the College of Science and Health may apply for a summer fellowship stipend to support their scholarly efforts.