Underground Explorers

Rwenzori Tropical montane cloud forest exhibit a high diversity of plant species and communities, as a result of high humidity and mild temperatures that create favorable conditions for the coexistence of temperate and Neotropical flora. The forest has five distinct vegetation zones, several endangered species and the richest montane flora in Africa. Hence, it is necessary to determine how mycorrhizal fungi community diversity and structure differ in the different forests. The project will assess the diversity of soil fungi through meta-barcoding of soil in these cloud forests to know the true diversity that exists through mycorrhizal mapping.