Influence of current land use and edaphic factors on arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) hyphal abundance and soil organic matter in and near Serengeti National Park

A study on the Serengeti National Park reveals that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) hyphal abundance is significantly influenced by land use and soil nutrient levels. Research found that wildlife-grazed systems exhibited the highest AM hyphal densities, followed by livestock-grazed systems and croplands, with mean densities of 61.03±22.02 m/cm³, 52.89±16.41 m/cm³, and 47.9±22.65 m/cm³ respectively. The findings align with the functional equilibrium hypothesis, suggesting that plants allocate more resources to belowground structures when limited by soil nutrients like phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). The study analyzed soil samples from the upper 15 cm beneath dominant plant species across different land uses, providing insights into the distribution of AM hyphae in tropical soils and their response to varying edaphic conditions.

Geofrey, E. S., Mark, E. R., & Emilian, P. M. (2015). Influence of current land use and edaphic factors on arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) hyphal abundance and soil organic matter in and near Serengeti National Park. Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment, 7(5), 158–169. https://doi.org/10.5897/jene2015.0506