Use of mycorrhizae to increase survival and resilience of transplanted plants in habitat restoration practices

Abstract

The UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for the preservation of biodiversity, which is threatened due to habitat degradation and climate change. Actions to enhance restoration and resilience of habitats to reduce biodiversity loss are needed. Though in-situ conservation is considered the best way to preserve biodiversity where species can persist with all their natural ecological interactions, the latter element is often ignored. Criticalities can arise when ex-situ grown indigenous plants are translocated in-situ, without their natural soil microbial associations, especially in a Mediterranean climate where abiotic stresses are severe. Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) are fundamental for terrestrial ecosystems, enhancing plant productivity, alleviating abiotic and oxidative stress, and regulating macronutrients recycling. The aim of the project was to investigate the use of indigenous ECM to enhance acclimatization and survival of ex-situ grown plants translocated for habitat restoration.