Restoration aboveground, dysbiosis below? A pressing need for the integration of mycorrhizal ecology in plant restoration practices
Kacie T. Kajihara, Cameron P. Egan, Sean O.I. Swift, Christopher B. Wall, Christopher D. Muir, Leah Thompson, Danyel Yogi, Thomas Chapin, Nicole A. Hynson
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Pacific Biosciences Research Center, 1993 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI, 96822 USA

Land conversion and natural disasters threaten many critical habitats worldwide. Tropical oceanic island ecosystems are particularly vulnerable due to their isolation and high rates of species endemism. Restoration is often touted as a management tool for mitigating the negative effects of these threats, but restoration efforts often fail to meet their objectives. A missing component of these practices may be the integration of microbes, such as mycorrhizal fungi. For the last decade we have been investigating the effects of land alterations including conversion of native tropical oceanic island ecosystems to pastures and plantations on mycorrhizal fungal communities. From these efforts we’ve learned that even decades after their implementation, common restoration practices only lead to the partial reassembly of mycorrhizal fungal communities, which lack host specific taxa. Our ongoing research seeks to determine whether inoculation of captive-reared native plants with wild sourced mycorrhizal fungi increases the health and fitness of the host plants, especially when they are reintroduced for restoration purposes. We’ve learned that while pre-inoculation influences plant growth response and overall health, not all inocula are created equal. These findings indicate that host specific interactions and site conditions are important considerations for the success of future restoration efforts.