U.S.-Chile Research: Desertification and Soil Disturbance in the Arid Regions of Chile: The Role of Mycorrhizal Fungiin the Restoration of Atriplex Shrub Communities

这个美洲项目奖将支持代顿大学的Carl Friese博士和智利塞雷纳大学的Lorgio Aguilera博士之间的合作研究项目。目的是研究菌根真菌与属于Atriflex属的植物物种之间的共生关系，以便更好地了解智利干旱地区荒漠化对植物和微生物群落以及自然干扰制度的影响。将对目前正在发生沙漠化的植物-微生物群落进行描述性分析，并与同一地区受保护地点的分析进行比较。将研究干旱生态系统的两个组成部分：植物-微生物群落和小尺度扰动。植物、真菌和微生物群落的描述性研究将与动物干扰的空间分析以及干扰对植物-微生物相互作用影响的实验研究联系在一起。这种完整的分析将比单一的系统研究产生更多关于沙漠化的信息。荒漠化是生态系统生产力和土壤质量显著下降的过程。由于采矿和农业活动，智利的许多干旱土地已成为沙漠化的对象。这一过程对干旱土地的影响可能是毁灭性的，几乎消除了牲畜和其他动物的地面饲料。这项研究的目的是确定荒漠化的具体过程，这些过程导致土壤肥力丧失，从而导致植物群落多样性丧失，其最终目标是扭转或停止荒漠化过程。＊＊＊

9416708 Friese This Americas Program award will support a collaborative research project between Dr. Carl Friese, University of Dayton, and Dr. Lorgio Aguilera, Universidad de la Serena, Chile. The objective is to study the symbiosis between mycorrhizal fungi and plant species belonging to the genus Atriflex in order to better understand the effect of desertification on the plant and microbial communities, as well as the natural disturbance regime, in the arid regions of Chile. A descriptive analysis of the plant-microbe communities currently undergoing desertification will be compared to that of a protected site in the same region. Two integral components of arid ecosystems will be studied: plant-microbe communities, and small scale disturbances. Descriptive studies of the plant, fungal and microbial communities will be linked together with spatial analyses of animal disturbance, along with experimental studies of the effect of the disturbance on plant-microbe interaction. This complete analysis will yield much more information about desertification than a single study of the system. Desertification is the process by which the productivity and soil quality of ecosystems are significantly reduced. As a result of mining and farming activities, much of the arid land of Chile has been subject to desertification. The effects of this process on arid lands can be devastating, nearly eliminating the ground forage for livestock and other animals. The aim of this study is to determine the specific processes of desertification that are causing the loss of soil fertility and thus, plant community diversity, with the ultimate goal of reversing or halting the desertification process. ***