Underground Explorers

The province of Misiones, northeastern Argentina, contains a unique gradient where the Paranaense Forest transitions into the Campos District, offering an exceptional setting to study biodiversity across contrasting subtropical ecosystems affected by different levels of disturbance.This project will explore how AMF communities associated with ferns vary along successional gradients and whether they can serve as indicators of ecosystem maturity and degradation.By integrating molecular, ecological, and environmental data, the project will characterize belowground biodiversity and identify relationships between AMF communities, vegetation, and habitat condition. The results will contribute to the development of fungal-based indicators for ecosystem monitoring and restoration, while improving our understanding of native mycorrhizal diversity in one of South America's biodiversity hotspots. The project also includes outreach activities to promote conservation awareness and strengthen connections between scientific research and local knowledge.