Item

The effect of land management on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in New Zealand

Date
2024
Type
Conference Contribution - unpublished
Keywords
Fields of Research
Abstract
Increasing the resilience of soil ecosystems is key to sustainable agricultural production in the face of our changing climate. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are symbionts that form an intricate and intimate relationship with plant roots, making them a key component of soil ecosystems. AMF are crucial to both aboveground and belowground processes, and play an essential role in ecosystem resilience, with communities able to adapt to changing environmental conditions. This project explores the drivers of AMF community composition, and how AMF communities affect the resilience of plants in New Zealand ecosystems. We conducted two years of seasonal sampling across agricultural and native forest ecosystems to assess AMF community abundance and diversity, using fatty acid analysis and metabarcoding. The results presented at NZES 2024 will highlight the differences between ecosystems including variations in community composition, spatiotemporal effects on community structure and correlation with soil physiochemical properties. This research addresses how anthropogenic stressors and land management practices influence AMF communities, which play a critical role in soil health and ecosystem functioning. By examining the effects of different land management strategies on AMF communities, these findings contribute to understanding how environmental changes impact belowground biodiversity and soil ecosystem functions. Additionally, this work provides insights into how these impacts might affect soil resilience and recovery, offering valuable information for sustainable land management and restoration efforts in Aotearoa New Zealand.