Underground Explorers

Mycorrhizal fungi play a key role in ecosystem health by providing nutrients to plants and drawing down carbon into soil systems. However, the power of these nutrient-providing fungal networks is under-exploited in Ghana's agriculture where there could be potential food insecurity in future. Ghana's coastal areas which are threatened by erosion and anthropogenic activities such as illegal mining are predicted to have abundance of mycorrhizal species. This study therefore sought to (i) map the mycorrhizal species and abundance in Ghana; (ii) to determine land use effect on mycorrhizal species and abundance, and (iii) evaluate the effect of illegal mining on mycorrhizal species.