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Journal article
AusAMF : The Database of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities in Australia
Global ecology and biogeography, Vol.34(7), e70090
2025
Abstract
Motivation
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are central to plant nutrient acquisition, soil carbon dynamics, and ecosystem resilience. Yet, their biogeography remains incompletely characterised, particularly across underrepresented regions. Australia, with its characteristic ecological conditions, continental scale, and long-standing evolutionary trajectories, has been notably undersampled. This gap hinders our ability to make comprehensive inferences about AM fungal diversity, community composition, and ecological roles at global scales. The AusAMF database was created to address this deficiency by compiling high-throughput AM fungal community data across mainland Australia and Tasmania. The initial release comprises data from 610 georeferenced sites sampled between 2011 and 2023, covering all major climate zones and accompanied by standardised soil storage, DNA extraction, and sequencing procedures. Developed through a nationally coordinated effort, AusAMF offers a rare level of methodological consistency, enabling robust spatial and temporal comparisons while minimising post-sampling technical biases. Its design as a purpose-built, extensible platform ensures continued expansion using harmonised protocols—something not achieved through compiled datasets assembled retrospectively from disparate studies. Each sample is linked to associated environmental variables, allowing users to explore ecological drivers of AM fungal distributions, assess patterns of biodiversity, and support applications spanning from fundamental ecology to conservation planning. As such, AusAMF advances both regional and global efforts to characterise the diversity and ecological significance of these foundational plant symbionts.
Main Types of Variables Contained
Georeferenced occurrence and abundance of high-throughput amplicon sequences of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.
Spatial Location and Grain
Australia. Decimal degrees between 0.0001 and 0.1 resolution.
Time Period and Grain
2011–2023. Month and year of sampling.
Major Taxa and Level of Measurement
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi identified to family, genus, and virtual taxon (VT). Geographic occurrence and amplicon sequence abundance.
Software Format
Interact with processed data via online application (https://www.ausamf.com). Dataset available as .csv files and raw sequencing data as .fastq files.
Details
- Title
- AusAMF : The Database of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities in Australia
- Authors/Creators
- Adam Frew - Western Sydney UniversityJeff R. Powell - Western Sydney UniversityMeike K. Heuck - Western Sydney UniversityFelipe E. Albornoz - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Environment Waterford Western Australia Australia, School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences Murdoch University Murdoch Western Australia Australia, School of Biological Sciences The University of Western Australia Perth Western Australia AustraliaChristina Birnbaum - University of Southern QueenslandJohn D. W. Dearnaley - University of Southern QueenslandEleonora Egidi - Western Sydney UniversityLuke Finn - Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network The University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia AustraliaJarrod Kath - University of Southern QueenslandKadri Koorem - Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences University of Tartu Tartu EstoniaJane Oja - Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences University of Tartu Tartu EstoniaMaarja Öpik - Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences University of Tartu Tartu EstoniaTanel Vahter - Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences University of Tartu Tartu EstoniaMartti Vasar - Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences University of Tartu Tartu EstoniaStephanie Watts-Williams - School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, the Waite Research Institute The University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia AustraliaYuxiong Zheng - Northwest A&F UniversityCarlos A. Aguilar-Trigueros - Western Sydney University
- Publication Details
- Global ecology and biogeography, Vol.34(7), e70090
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- Identifiers
- 991005796264807891
- Copyright
- © 2025 The Author(s).
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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