Mycorrhizal mapping to conserve tropical rainforest ecosystems in Southwest Nigeria

Damilola Olanipon
Damilola Olanipon
Oba Hills Forest Reserve (Osun State) and Oluwa Forest Reserve (Ondo State), Nigeria
Cohort:
2024
project abstract

Southwest Nigeria is a part of the Guinean forests of West Africa and a biodiversity hotspot consisting of tropical rainforest, mangrove forests, highland forests and sacred groves. The dense vegetation of various canopy layers these forest favourable habitats for various fauna ranging from animals like chimpanzees, monkeys and birds to microbial populations such as mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria species. However, a few of these ecosystems are currently been protected by local communities due to their species richness and endemism. These special features therefore present these forest ecosystems as key subjects in biodiversity conservation and management studies. Southwest Nigeria consists of six major states – Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Ogun, Oyo and Lagos. In our previous research, we focused on mapping Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) communities across both roots and soils in a forest reserve in Ekiti State to identify plant-fungal interaction networks. Our preliminary results identified AMF species belonging to the families Glomeraceae, Acaulosporaceae, Gigasporaceae, Diversisporaceae, Ambisporaceae and Paraglomeraceae to be associated with soils and tree species in a tropical rainforest forest in Ekiti State. The study further indicated that there is a network of mycorrhizal sharing among tree species. Consequently, the SPUN Underground Explorer grant will determine how mycorrhizal fungi community diversity and structure differ in two other states, Ondo and Osun States. Specifically, we will employ the established sampling protocol of SPUN, molecular analyses of soil and root samples and metabarcoding of the 18S SSU rDNA region to characterize mycorrhizal fungal communities in the study sites. Furthermore, we will identify the plant species lost in degraded areas of the forests compared to pristine areas and how mycorrhizal diversity and abundance will differ along different elevation gradients (uplands and lowlands) of the forest ecosystems. Our project specifically addresses the sustainable development goals; hence we will enlighten the local communities, both the male and female genders on the following aspects i.e. SDGs – 11 (sustainable use of forest communities); 14 (influence of mycorrhiza networks in climate regulation, nutrient cycling and ecosystem stability) and 15 (combating deforestation, halting land degradation and loss of biodiversity such as plant and soil microbes). Local communities will be trained to understand more about mycorrhizal fungi and soil sampling protocol and emphasis will be placed on the roles of mycorrhizal in Earth’s ecosystem and in forest conservation, whilst also campaigning against over-exploitation of forest resources. To facilitate learning, poster, hand bills and other pictorial representations/videos on sampling protocols and relevance of mycorrhizal fungi to ecosystem stability and balance will be employed. These activities are aimed towards community-based conservation initiatives and stewardship over the forest sites.