Underground Explorers

This project aims to describe new species of mycorrhizal fungi from the genera Lactarius and Lactifluus in black oak (Trigonobalanus excelsa) forests of Huila and Santander, Colombia. Through morphological analysis and multilocus sequencing, previously uncatalogued taxa will be mapped and identified in these relict and threatened ecosystems. The study's objectives align with forest propagation and conservation initiatives led by rural communities and universities, and therefore the research is being conducted in a participatory manner: members of peasant organizations, as well as other community actors, can participate in training sessions and the dissemination of results. The description of these new species is key to their protection, since formally naming them allows them to be included on red lists, facilitating their prioritization and enabling the design of more specific propagation trials for black oak by better understanding its mycorrhizal associations.