Underground Explorers

Human-driven nutrient enrichment is reshaping ecosystems worldwide, yet its effects on belowground biodiversity remain poorly understood, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. This project investigates how nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium enrichment influence mycorrhizal fungal communities and overall soil fungal diversity in Patagonian shrublands, a naturally nutrient-poor ecosystem rich in diverse plant–fungal symbioses. Using a long-term field fertilization experiment, high-throughput DNA sequencing, and soil chemical analyses, we will evaluate how single and combined nutrient additions alter fungal diversity, community composition, and ecosystem functioning. By generating one of the first comprehensive assessments of multi-nutrient eutrophication on mycorrhizal networks in South American shrublands, this research will advance our understanding of belowground responses to global change while providing knowledge to support biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of these ecologically valuable yet understudied ecosystems.