The current scenario of the distribution, functionality, and ecosystemic role of the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in Chile

Abstract

A wide range of studies highlights the ecological relevance of arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) promoting the nutrients and water acquisition, favoring plant defenses to cope with pests or adverse conditions such as drought, salinity, and presence of toxic elements, among others. In Chile, the studies on this topic are recent, although they have acquired notoriety for their multiple ecological relationships and the possible biotechnological applications. This chapter constitutes a systematization of the scientific information regarding AM in Chile by macrozones and information gaps to direct future studies in the symbiosis. In total, 91 studies that consider AM symbiosis in Chile were included, being 49 of them related to agricultural issues or approaches to solve problems derived from mining, and another 38 focused on the properties, functionality, and taxonomy of AM fungi in natural ecosystems, and the other 4 were a combination of both topics. By geographical zone, 7 studies correspond to the far north, 4 to the near north, 21 to central Chile, 57 to the south zone, and only 2 to the far south, revealing a notorious gap between the different zones. Moreover, the agricultural focus is predominant on the studies, mainly monocultures, and also human-impacted environments. In conclusion, it is crucial to continue developing studies on the AM symbiosis focused on the generation of sustainable agri-food systems that adapt harmoniously with natural ecosystems and the current climate emergency, also contributing to the restoration of degraded natural ecosystems including the extreme north and south environments.