Inga acreana

Application of Mycorrhizal Roots Improves Growth of Tropical Tree Seedlings in the Nursery: A Step Towards Reforestation with Native Species in the Andes of Ecuador

background

Ecuador’s tropical mountain rainforests are rich in biodiversity but are facing the highest deforestation rate in South America (1.7%). Tree plantations are one method being used to restore these forests, however these plantations often use fast-growing introduced species rather than native species. To improve the success of native species in order to encourage their greater use in plantations, this study proposes inoculation of nursery seedlings with the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi that is associated with these native species in the forest.