Underground Explorers

Argentine Mesopotamia is a region composed of 3 provinces and 3 very different ecoregions: the Espinal Ecoregion; the Southern Cone Mesopotamian Savannah, where the Iberá Wetlands are located, the second largest wetland in the world; and the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest, where one of the 7 natural wonders of the world, the Iguazú Falls is located, and where 52% of the country's biodiversity is found. Despite the ecological importance of this region, it concentrates more than 75% of the country's afforestation with species introduced more than 80 years ago, with pine and eucalyptus, two exotic species with mycorrhizal associations, being the most cultivated. However, it is not known how many mycorrhizal species have been introduced and how they have affected the native fungi. Therefore, the aim of this project is to analyze the diversity of exotic and native mycorrhizae in order to assess the impact of afforestation on native mycorrhizal diversity and to initiate awareness and mitigation measures.