Underground Explorers
Press coverage around SPUN and mycorrhizal fungal networks.
Redemptive mycorrhizal fungi of the dried Aral Sea

Ilyor Mustafaev
Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan
Cohort:
2024
project abstract
The desertification of the Aral Sea, once the fourth largest lake in the world, has resulted in ecological devastation in Central Asia. The exposed seabed and concentrated seawater, with their extremely high salinity even exceeding the level of Dead Sea, presents a unique challenge for vegetation restoration. Interestingly, still there are domestic halophytes successfully adapted and thriving in the region. With a wonderful support of SPUN, our enthusiastic research team from Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences led by Dr. Ilyor Mustafaev in collaboration with Dr. Soon-Jae Lee in University of Lausanne, start the first underground exploration of the Aral Sea. In this study, we investigate the soil fungal communities as well as mycorrhizal fungi which support plant growth in the dried-up regions of the Aral Sea. We aim to characterize the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and other soil fungi across different salinity gradients and habitats within the Aral Sea basin. Our fieldwork involves the collection of soil samples from various locations across the Aral Sea basin. We work closely with local collaborators to share the expertise in mycology, plant ecology, and molecular biology. Anticipated scientific outcomes will serve as essential assets for future research endeavors for local conservation efforts for Aral Sea. Our outreach efforts will disseminate findings to the local communities in Uzbekistan and adjacent countries through media articles and presentations at the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences. This pioneering study will bring an important data for successful ecological modelling of belowground diversity in high salinity regions for further conservation and prevention of the ecosystem collapsing. Considering the expected more frequent drought all over the world, which will accompany the salinity stress for the terrestrial vegetation, the results of this project will have value not only for the case of Aral Sea, but also for whole globe.
Photo by Patrick Schneider on Unsplash