Work

Preliminary Assessment of Mycobiome at Former Quarry Site That Hosts a Diverse and Abundant Orchid Population

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Former quarries offer unique opportunities for biodiversity restoration, yet their potential for orchid meadow creation remains underexplored. This study screened soils to study whether these habitats harbour key orchid-compatible fungi essential for orchid colonisation. We conducted comparative analyses of fungal community composition across restored quarry sites using alpha and beta diversity metrics, NMDS ordinations, and regression models linking orchid abundance with fungal diversity. Using soil metabarcoding across four restored sites, the results showed that orchid abundance strongly correlated with fungal diversity, including mycorrhizal families such as Sebacinaceae and Thelephoraceae. The gorge-based site supported the highest orchid density and richest fungal assemblage. These findings demonstrate that former quarries can sustain the fungal networks required for orchid recruitment, providing a foundation for large-scale restoration strategies. Association analysis revealed that orchid abundance, though on a limited scale, is a strong predictor of fungal diversity, indicating that denser orchid populations support richer fungal communities. Despite its limited scale, this study demonstrates that former quarries can provide both the physical conditions and the fungal networks necessary for orchid establishment, offering a practical model for restoring orchid-rich meadows and enhancing biodiversity in former quarries.

Source: Microorganisms

DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms13102390

Authors: Viswambharan Sarasan, Dean Williams, Zoe Ringwood

Institutions: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Essex Wildlife Trust

Language: English

Topic: Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,258