Summary
This field study demonstrates that conversion of uncultivated soils to agriculture substantially reduces arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity in tropical mountain ecosystems, with an 80% average loss in richness. Climate factors—temperature and precipitation—interact with land use to shape AM fungal community composition, with uncultivated soils harbouring approximately three-fold more unique fungal species than cultivated soils. The findings underscore the importance of integrating climate and land use considerations into conservation and sustainable agriculture strategies to preserve belowground microbial biodiversity.
Regional applicability
The study was conducted in Ecuador and may have limited direct applicability to United Kingdom farming conditions, given the tropical mountain context and different climate regimes. However, the methodological approach of examining AM fungal diversity responses to land use change and climatic gradients could inform similar research on British soils, particularly in understanding how intensification affects soil mycorrhizal communities under temperate conditions.
Key measures
AM fungal richness, species composition, temperature gradient (7.7–16.5°C), precipitation gradient (1000–3500 mm), proportion of unique species in uncultivated versus cultivated soils
Outcomes reported
The study quantified arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal biodiversity in cultivated versus uncultivated soils across an elevational gradient in tropical mountains, measuring changes in species richness and composition. Key findings included an 80% reduction in AM fungal richness following conversion to agriculture and differential responses to temperature and precipitation gradients between cultivated and uncultivated sites.
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