Underground Explorers

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a vital role in ecosystem restoration and sustainability. These fungi form symbiotic relationships with plants to improve plant growth, protect the plants against root pathogens and environmental stress, and promote ecosystem stability. Therefore, understanding AMF diversity will be very important for land use management practice and conservation, especially in semi-arid regions. This project will focus on determining the diversity of AMF fungi in the semi-arid region of Dodoma, Tanzania, by comparing three sites: a natural forest reserve, a tree plantation, and grazing grassland. The AMF will be identified on 30 samples using the ITS region of the DNA and high-throughput sequencing technique using the Illumina platform. The data obtained from this study will not only provide insight on how different land use influences AMF diversity but also contribute to the conservation and management of these ecosystems, ultimately fostering ecological resilience.