Overview of the Biodiversity, Conservation, and Sustainable Food Production with Mycorrhizal Fungi in South America

Abstract

The diversity of mycorrhizas is an indicator of the health of ecosystems, thus, understanding of the belowground microbiota such as fungi associated to natural and managed ecosystems is essential to provide sustainable outcomes to farmers. Less is known on the totally arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species useful to agroecology, the sustainable agroforestry related to healthy food industry and edible ectomycorrhizal fungi (EcMF) production, orchid mycorrhizal fungi (OMF) applied to native orchid conservation and commercial culture as well as ericoid mycorrhizas (ErM) in South America. In general, specific AMF of Acaulosporaceae and Glomeraceae are found in most vegetation covers; however, grassy and cultivated ecosystems present exclusive AMF species. Nowadays it is known, based on recent reports, that the occurrence of these symbiotic fungi in grasslands, and mainly in pastures, vineyards and productive forest is significant as these vegetation types can support more diverse AMF and EcMF than native forests. Therefore, we show current information on these topics for South America. New perspectives on the sustainable use of mycorrhizal fungi associated with South American as OMR are proposed in this book. In addition, after the exhaustive analysis of these symbioses, the great gaps in information on these subjects were revealed, which indicate the possible directions of future research in South America.