Underground Explorers
Press coverage around SPUN and mycorrhizal fungal networks.
Soil fungal communities in sections of Mt Kenya forest under contrasting management regimes
Hannah Karuri
Kenya
Cohort:
2023
project abstract
Soil biodiversity plays a key role in provision of ecosystem services. Conservation of soil organisms and their inclusion in policy agendas is imperative. The Mt. Kenya forest is a biodiversity hotspot but the diversity of most soil biota is unexplored. Mycorrhizal fungi are a key component of forest ecosystems and they influence different biogeochemical processes. This project will compare the diversity of mycorrhizal fungi in protected and unprotected areas within the Mt. Kenya forest. It will provide an insight on the status of mycorrhizal fungi and contribute to the conservation and monitoring of soil biodiversity.
Photo by David Clode on Unsplash