Dr Adam Frew is an ecologist interested in plant interactions with fungi and herbivores. The main focus of his research is the ecology of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and how the mycorrhizal symbiosis can affect plant defences against herbivores. His research also looks to understand how mycorrhizal fungal communities respond to environmental change and/or land management within agricultural and natural ecosystems. Adam is currently an ARC DECRA fellow and forms part of the ecology at USQ team. Previously he taught into a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate courses on ecology, environmental science and sustainability. Prior to his appointment at USQ, Adam completed his PhD at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University before taking on a Charles Sturt University Postdoctoral Research Fellowship based in Wagga Wagga, NSW.

Fields of Research (FoR)

• Ecology ( 060200 )
  
• Microbial Ecology ( 060504 )
  
• Plant Biology ( 060700 )
  
• Ecological Impacts of Climate Change ( 050101 )
  
• Soil Biology ( 050303 )
  
• Ecology ( 310300 )
  
• Soil Biology ( 410603 )
  
• Plant Biology ( 310800 )
  
• Microbial Ecology ( 310703 )
  
• Ecological Impacts Of Climate Change And Ecological Adaptation ( 410102 )
  
• Microbiology ( 310700 )
  
• Climate Change Impacts And Adaptation ( 410100 )
  
• Soil Sciences ( 410600 )
  

Research interests
Ecology of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; plant-herbivore interactions; plant defense against insect herbivores; community ecology; sustainable plant production

Professional memberships
Memberships:
Member of Ecological Society of Australia
Member of British Ecological Society
Member of Equity and Diversity working group for the Ecological Society of Australia

Journal Editorial Appointments:
Associate Editor for Functional Ecology
Associate Editor for Pedobiologia (Journal of Soil Ecology)

USQ Research affiliations

• Centre for Crop Health (CCH)
  

Currently teaching courses/programs
REN1201 Environmental Studies (ONC & ONL)
REN2200 Ecology for Sustainability (ONC & ONL)
REN8101 Environment, Society & Sustainability (ONL)
REN8202 Conservation for Sustainable Futures (ONL)
REN3302 Sustainable Resource Use (ONC & ONL)
REN8302 Sustainability Science (ONL)

Teaching experience(Tertiary)
3 Years

Research most recent
Frew, A., Antunes, P.M., Cameron, D.D., Hartley, S.E., Johnson, S.N., Rillig, M.C., Bennett, A.E. (2022), Plant herbivore protection by arbuscular mycorrhizas: A role for fungal diversity? New Phytologist, doi: 10.1111/nph.17781

Frew, A., Price, J.N., Oja, J., Vasar, M., Öpik, M. (2021), Impacts of elevated atmospheric CO2 on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and their role in moderating plant allometric partitioning, Mycorrhiza, Vol. 31, 423-430

Frew, A., Wilson, B.A.L. (2021), Different mycorrhizal fungal communities differentially affect plant phenolic-based resistance to insect herbivory, Rhizosphere, vol. 19, 100365

Frew, A. (2021), Aboveground herbivory suppresses the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, reducing plant phosphorus uptake, Applied Soil Ecology, vol. 168, 104133

Research most notable
Frew, A., Antunes, P.M., Cameron, D.D., Hartley, S.E., Johnson, S.N., Rillig, M.C., Bennett, A.E. (2022), Plant herbivore protection by arbuscular mycorrhizas: A role for fungal diversity? New Phytologist, doi: 10.1111/nph.17781

Frew, A., Powell, J.R., Allsopp, P.G., Sallam, N., Johnson, S.N. (2017) Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi promote silicon accumulation in plant roots, reducing the impacts of root herbivory, Plant and Soil, Vol. 419, 423-433

Publications in ePrints

Frew, Adam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9859-2419 and Antunes, Pedro M. and Cameron, Duncan D. and Hartley, Susan E. and Johnson, Scott N. and Rillig, Matthias C. and Bennett, Alison E. (2022) Plant herbivore protection by arbuscular mycorrhizas: a role for fungal diversity? New Phytologist, 233 (3). pp. 1022-1031. ISSN 0028-646X

Frew, Adam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9859-2419 (2021) Aboveground herbivory suppresses the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, reducing plant phosphorus uptake. Applied Soil Ecology, 168:104133. ISSN 0929-1393

Frew, Adam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9859-2419 (2021) Contrasting effects of commercial and native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculants on plant biomass allocation, nutrients, and phenolics. Plants, People, Planet, 3 (5). pp. 536-540.

Frew, Adam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9859-2419 and Wilson, Bree A. L. (2021) Different mycorrhizal fungal communities differentially affect plant phenolic-based resistance to insect herbivory. Rhizosphere, 19:100365. pp. 1-4.

Frew, Adam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9859-2419 and Price, Jodi N. and Oja, Jane and Vasar, Martti and Opik, Maarja (2021) Impacts of elevated atmospheric CO2 on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and their role in moderating plant allometric partitioning. Mycorrhiza. pp. 1-8. ISSN 0940-6360

View full listing in ePrints

Research supervisor in the area of:

• Microbial Ecology ( 060504 )
  
• Ecological Impacts of Climate Change ( 050101 )
  
• Soil Biology ( 050303 )
  
• Ecology ( 310300 )
  
• Soil Biology ( 410603 )
  
• Plant Biology ( 310800 )
  
• Microbial Ecology ( 310703 )
  
• Ecological Impacts Of Climate Change And Ecological Adaptation ( 410102 )
  
• Microbiology ( 310700 )
  
• Climate Change Impacts And Adaptation ( 410100 )
  
• Soil Sciences ( 410600 )
  

Research topics

• How do different mycorrhizal fungi affect plant defences against insect herbivores?