Underground Explorers

This study investigates how silvicultural management practices influence mycorrhizal fungal communities and soil health during the early stages of ecological restoration in a degraded tropical savanna within the Maasai Mara ecosystem, Kenya. Using a long-term experimental restoration site, we will evaluate the effects of livestock manure application, pruning biomass addition, and their combination on soil fungal diversity, functional composition, and ecosystem recovery. Soil samples will be collected across replicated treatment plots and analyzed using high-throughput DNA metabarcoding targeting fungal marker regions. We hypothesize that combined manure and pruning treatments will promote greater mycorrhizal diversity, enhance beneficial plant–fungal associations, and accelerate soil biological recovery relative to single-treatment and control plots. The project will generate one of the first molecular datasets on mycorrhizal fungal communities in actively restored East African savannas, contributing to global efforts to map fungal biodiversity while providing evidence-based recommendations for restoration practitioners, land managers, and community-led conservation initiatives.