You are a forester charged with increasing productivity in a South American forest newly planted with pines from Oregon. You believe that the southern forest lacks the fungal diversity needed by the North American pines and that this lack of fungi is affecting the pines' productivity, but you have no evidence to support your ideas. To count how many fungal species were present in the Oregon forest, which methodology would you choose?

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Direct sequencing on representative soil samples from across the forest would be the best method to count how many fungal species are present in the South American forest. This method would provide a comprehensive understanding of the diversity of fungi present in the soil and allow for identification of any missing fungal groups that could be impacting pine productivity. Counting plant species and multiplying by 6 could result in an inaccurate estimate of fungal diversity, as not all plant species necessarily harbor equal numbers of fungal species. Collecting fruiting structures would also not provide an accurate measure of total fungal diversity, as many fungi do not produce aboveground fruiting structures. Exposing trees to radiolabeled carbon dioxide would not be a practical or effective method for measuring fungal diversity in soil.

You Are a Forester Charged with Increasing Productivity in a South