Fungal ITS and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal 18S amplicon sequencing from roots, soil, and mineral-associated microhabitats in a greenhouse experiment
This project characterizes fungal communities using two complementary amplicon sequencing approaches in a controlled greenhouse experiment. Broad fungal communities were assessed using ITS amplicon sequencing, while arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) communities were specifically targeted using WANDA AML2 primers amplifying a region of the 18S rRNA gene. Pots containing Trifolium repens were inoculated with an AMF inoculum, and fungal communities were sampled from plant roots, surrounding soil, and 36 um mesh pockets containing kaolinite, montmorillonite, goethite, or quartz sand that allowed hyphal colonization.