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

9416708弗里泽美洲项目奖将支持代顿大学的卡尔·弗里泽博士和智利拉塞雷纳大学的洛吉奥·阿奎莱拉博士之间的合作研究项目。其目的是研究菌根真菌与滨藜属植物之间的共生关系，以更好地了解荒漠化对智利干旱地区植物群落和微生物群落的影响以及自然干扰机制。对目前正在遭受荒漠化的植物-微生物群落的描述性分析将与同一地区的一个受保护地点的情况进行比较。将研究干旱生态系统的两个组成部分：植物-微生物群落和小规模干扰。对植物、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相结合，同时还将对干扰对植物-微生物相互作用的影响进行实验研究。这一完整的分析将比对该系统的单一研究产生更多关于荒漠化的信息。荒漠化是指生态系统的生产力和土壤质量显著下降的过程。由于采矿和农业活动，智利的大部分干旱土地都受到荒漠化的影响。这一过程对干旱土地的影响可能是毁灭性的，几乎使牲畜和其他动物的地面饲料消失。这项研究的目的是确定造成土壤肥力丧失和植物群落多样性丧失的荒漠化的具体过程，最终目标是逆转或停止荒漠化进程。***

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. ***