Underground Explorers

This project takes place in the Magallanes region, located at the southernmost tip of the American continent. In particular, this study will focus on the rhizosphere fungal community of trees inhabiting peatland ecosystems, dominated by the Sphagnum magellanicum moss. Southern high-latitude peatlands remain understudied compared to their northern counterparts, and especially their associated microbiome, with fungi still undescribed. In particular, studies describing the ecological and functional role of rhizosphere fungi of vascular plants inhabiting peatlands are still lacking. This project will provide the first characterization of the mycorrhizal fungal community of Nothofagus antarctica inhabiting ombrotrophic peatlands of Sphagnum magellanicum in the subantarctic region of Magallanes. By addressing a critical gap in belowground mycorrhizal diversity, we hope that this research will have implications for conservation and management of vascular plants living in this unique ecosystem, and for Sphagnum peatlands as a whole.