Underground Explorers

The crucial role of soil fungi in ecosystem functioning and biodiversity cannot be overemphasised. Yet, their diversity and distribution patterns still remain unexplored in many parts of Africa, including Ghana. This project aims to explore the diversity of soil fungal communities across different terrestrial biomes in Ghana. Atewa Range Forest Reserves, Bobiri Forest Reserve, and Ankasa Forest Reserve are protected natural reserves located in the Southeastern, Southcentral, and Southwestern parts of Ghana, respectively. We hypothesised that soil fungal diversity will vary significantly across these habitats in Ghana. Using SPUN’s sampling protocol modified from the Silva Nova/SoilBon protocol, we will collect soil samples from these locations and leverage high-throughput sequencing techniques (PacBio) to provide an enhanced comprehension of the intricate fungal communities within these mycobiomes. Some local community members will receive training on soil sampling protocols during this expedition. 

The findings from this expedition will be of significant value to both the local communities under study and the world at large as fungal community composition within these biomes will be revealed alongside the drivers of these diversity patterns. This investigation will also serve as a baseline for several endemic and potentially novel fungal species, which will underscore the rich yet underexplored fungal biodiversity in Ghanaian soils. These findings will also be important for understanding ecosystem health at large, as well as informed conservation strategies and enhanced sustainable land management practices against climate change.