Justine Karst 🇨🇦
@j-karst.bsky.social
Associate Professor, U of Alberta. President of the International Mycorrhiza Society.
I study the mycorrhizal ecology of forests. Less hype, more hyphae.
I study the mycorrhizal ecology of forests. Less hype, more hyphae.
I'm puzzled by '1/3'. Assuming myc fungi can't select C from fossil fuels but receive C in proportion to magnitude of sources, wouldn't the value be < 2%? Screenshot of my calculations below. Thanks for helping me sort this out.
September 29, 2025 at 11:10 PM
I'm puzzled by '1/3'. Assuming myc fungi can't select C from fossil fuels but receive C in proportion to magnitude of sources, wouldn't the value be < 2%? Screenshot of my calculations below. Thanks for helping me sort this out.
2025 Lab group photo. Small but mighty!
September 8, 2025 at 4:14 PM
2025 Lab group photo. Small but mighty!
Who canoes/hikes +3000 km to find a bird nest in the Canadian Arctic? Adam Shoalts does. Though I’m sure he was ready to go home, I didn’t want the adventure to end. What an amazing guy. What beautiful and ecologically important landscapes we have.
August 25, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Who canoes/hikes +3000 km to find a bird nest in the Canadian Arctic? Adam Shoalts does. Though I’m sure he was ready to go home, I didn’t want the adventure to end. What an amazing guy. What beautiful and ecologically important landscapes we have.
The second site was Bitumount, a historic site of experimental oil sands separation. The site was abandoned years ago, and today vegetation is slowly taking over the ore piles. The third site was typical boreal forest with no bitumen present in soils.
August 22, 2025 at 6:09 PM
The second site was Bitumount, a historic site of experimental oil sands separation. The site was abandoned years ago, and today vegetation is slowly taking over the ore piles. The third site was typical boreal forest with no bitumen present in soils.
The first was from forests growing on natural surficial bitumen deposits. Bitumen outcrops were left post-glaciation and today trees and other plants grow on them. When you dig a soil pit in these places, you can smell the oil!
August 22, 2025 at 6:07 PM
The first was from forests growing on natural surficial bitumen deposits. Bitumen outcrops were left post-glaciation and today trees and other plants grow on them. When you dig a soil pit in these places, you can smell the oil!
Epic wipeouts today on Kalamalka Lake, BC
August 10, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Epic wipeouts today on Kalamalka Lake, BC
En route to our vacation destination we stayed in Revelstoke and did the Pipe Mountain Coaster. Even before the descent I had my eyes closed! It was fun but I couldn’t help screaming 🙀
August 8, 2025 at 4:49 AM
En route to our vacation destination we stayed in Revelstoke and did the Pipe Mountain Coaster. Even before the descent I had my eyes closed! It was fun but I couldn’t help screaming 🙀
According to this sign in the Edmonton river valley, trees send chemicals, hormonal and electrical (!) signals to each other through fungal networks to warn each other of disease, drought or incoming pest invasions. Kinda ruined an otherwise nice walk.
July 31, 2025 at 3:58 AM
According to this sign in the Edmonton river valley, trees send chemicals, hormonal and electrical (!) signals to each other through fungal networks to warn each other of disease, drought or incoming pest invasions. Kinda ruined an otherwise nice walk.
A gorgeous gift from a former student!
July 23, 2025 at 8:05 PM
A gorgeous gift from a former student!
Remember that scene in White Nights where Baryshnikov & Hines practice their moves in an empty studio? That was me today because no one signed up for the class I was subbing-in for. I had the place to myself!!
July 20, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Remember that scene in White Nights where Baryshnikov & Hines practice their moves in an empty studio? That was me today because no one signed up for the class I was subbing-in for. I had the place to myself!!
Your post reminded me of all the fantastic people this career has led me to. A small sampler below. I’m very fortunate!
July 11, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Your post reminded me of all the fantastic people this career has led me to. A small sampler below. I’m very fortunate!
It’s not everyday that I have a film crew in my backyard. Meet Jamie, Riley and Clyde—the crew filming ‘Wildfire! From the Ground Up’ a doc series about wildfires in Alberta. I 😭watching the first episode. albertawildfire.ca/videos/episo...
July 4, 2025 at 1:21 AM
It’s not everyday that I have a film crew in my backyard. Meet Jamie, Riley and Clyde—the crew filming ‘Wildfire! From the Ground Up’ a doc series about wildfires in Alberta. I 😭watching the first episode. albertawildfire.ca/videos/episo...
We have changed! The International Mycorrhiza Society mycorrhizas.org has a new logo and website featuring current award winners, all our newsletters, searchable program abstracts from past ICOMs, info on future ICOMs, and beauty shots of fungi from our community. Enjoy! ⬇️
July 3, 2025 at 9:39 PM
We have changed! The International Mycorrhiza Society mycorrhizas.org has a new logo and website featuring current award winners, all our newsletters, searchable program abstracts from past ICOMs, info on future ICOMs, and beauty shots of fungi from our community. Enjoy! ⬇️
My mom taught me her sourdough recipe this weekend. Because we all need bread and roses in our lives.
June 29, 2025 at 10:55 PM
My mom taught me her sourdough recipe this weekend. Because we all need bread and roses in our lives.
I’m trying something different this summer. I let the chickweed have its own pot. Quite pretty!
June 27, 2025 at 3:12 AM
I’m trying something different this summer. I let the chickweed have its own pot. Quite pretty!
An early birthday present from my mom. These are two of my favourite things!
May 28, 2025 at 10:46 PM
An early birthday present from my mom. These are two of my favourite things!
I did not know alligators coexisted with raccoons!
May 24, 2025 at 2:57 AM
I did not know alligators coexisted with raccoons!
Finished reading The Good Mother Myth by Nancy Reddy. The title sums it up.
February 25, 2025 at 4:51 AM
Finished reading The Good Mother Myth by Nancy Reddy. The title sums it up.
Someone left their old plane on the ski trail.
February 20, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Someone left their old plane on the ski trail.
Dramatic landscapes post-fire in Jasper National Park. Still beautiful!
February 18, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Dramatic landscapes post-fire in Jasper National Park. Still beautiful!
Skis can take you to some pretty nice places. On reading break this week.
February 18, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Skis can take you to some pretty nice places. On reading break this week.
It’s Flag Day in Canada. I can’t imagine any other than that red maple leaf. 🇨🇦
February 15, 2025 at 11:24 PM
It’s Flag Day in Canada. I can’t imagine any other than that red maple leaf. 🇨🇦
I wanted to put up a small, understated flag on Saturday so I asked my guy to pick ONE up from Canadian Tire. Here is what I woke up to.
February 12, 2025 at 2:33 PM
I wanted to put up a small, understated flag on Saturday so I asked my guy to pick ONE up from Canadian Tire. Here is what I woke up to.
Blue skies, sparkling snow, great tracks and easy access—it doesn’t get better than this! We were flying ❄️🪽
February 8, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Blue skies, sparkling snow, great tracks and easy access—it doesn’t get better than this! We were flying ❄️🪽
Posting on behalf of my colleague Sylvie Quideau. She is offering a funded Ph.D. position in Soil Science- Forest Soil Carbon. See ad below for details. Please share. Thx!
January 8, 2025 at 3:55 AM
Posting on behalf of my colleague Sylvie Quideau. She is offering a funded Ph.D. position in Soil Science- Forest Soil Carbon. See ad below for details. Please share. Thx!