Mapping desertic ecosystems
The project focuses on characterizing plant-associated microbial communities in arid and semi-arid ecosystems of Southern Morocco, with particular emphasis on saline and drought-prone environments such as sabkhas. By combining culture-dependent approaches with high-throughput sequencing (16S rRNA metabarcoding), the project aims to identify halotolerant plant growth promoting microorganisms that contribute to plant resilience under abiotic stress. The ultimate goal is to valorize these microbial resources for sustainable agriculture and climate-resilient crop development in arid regions.