Presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in some areas of the National System of Protected Areas of Cuba

Abstract

In the Cuban protected areas system plan, gap studies have been carried out on numerous species and ecosystems, however, an analysis of the representativeness of mycorrhizal species has never been carried out. This has led to the fact that, in the management plans of the areas, the presence of these species is not indicated due to lack of knowledge. The objective of the work was to carry out for the first time the analysis of the presence of species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. There are 92 species identified in Cuba, which represent 27.8% of the total reported worldwide. The identified species are distributed in 27 locations, six of which are protected areas with ecosystems that differ in their characteristics (San Ubaldo-Sabanalamar Wildlife Refuge, Protected Areas of Managed Resources Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve and Zapata Peninsula, Las Peladas Natural Reserve and the El Salón and Los Indios Ecological Reserves) and are home to 63 species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, representing 68.5% of the total identified in the country. In a single protected area, 28 species (44.4%) are located, and in more than one protected area, 35 species (55.6%). The lack of information on their presence means that they do not have management programs for their conservation within the National System of Protected Areas.