Mycorrhizas and Ecological Restoration in South America

Currently, effective ecological restoration of degraded ecosystems and the reduction of gas emissions have been considered solutions to mitigate and counteract the negative effects of climate change. Moreover, mycorrhizas are currently widely recognized as fundamental components of plant communities and key modulators of ecosystem functioning. Consequently, it is highly important to consider the mycorrhizal symbiosis in the context of effective ecological restoration. Evidence mostly from the northern hemisphere shows that using mycorrhizas in field experiments of restoration has positive effects on plant biomass as well as in community richness. The experiments from South America are scarce and come exclusively from Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, most of them showing positive effects on plant performance. The field experiments of ecological restoration from South America use mainly arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, with one exception for ectomycorrhizas; however, there is no evidence of the effects on the use of orchid and ericoid mycorrhizas. It is highlighted running experiments from Brazil with ectomycorrhizas and, certainly, future research questions in field settings within ecological restoration contexts should consider orchid and ericoid mycorrhizas.