Collaboratrici e collaboratori

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form mutualistic associations with most land plants and are of pivotal importance for plant growth and nutrition. AM fungi include both the well-known phylum Glomeromycota (G-AMF) and the recently established clade of Endogonomycete fine root endophytes within the phylum Mucoromycota, often viewed as putative AMF (E-AMF). Yet, the global richness of these fungal groups, in particular of E-AMF, is poorly understood. To provide comprehensive global species of G-AMF and E-AMF, we analysed long-read sequencing data of the full-length ITS marker from 4,733 sampling sites across all continents and biomes. Our study provides the first combined estimate of global G-AMF and putative E-AMF richness, far exceeding the numbers and taxa reported so far. Specifically, we detected 8,517 OTUs of G-AMF, surpassing previous AMF richness estimates by a factor of five to fifteen. In addition, we identified 600 OTUs for putative E-AMF, providing the first global estimate for this group.