Underground Explorers

Among the phytophysiognomies of the Cerrado biome, the second most threatened biome in Brazil, palm swamps represent the most sensitive areas to human intervention, mainly due to the ecosystem services they perform as carbon storage (carbon stock in the soil) and in the regulation and availability of water. Land use conversion can alter moisture levels, soil characteristics, patterns of environmental heterogeneity, vegetation composition and microbial diversity, especially the AM community. Consequently, patterns and processes can be changed, compromising the functioning of the ecosystem. The project hypothesizes that the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in palm swamp areas varies depending on the water availability in the soil, estimating greater diversity in more drained environments. The analysis of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi diversity will contribute to the maintenance and resilience of palm swamp areas in the face of environmental changes. Including the identification of species that can favor the establishment of native plant species in areas undergoing regeneration and recovery.