Story and Photos from: Lukelysia Mwangi, Research Associate, Living Soils, CIFOR-ICRAF

A Hidden World Beneath the Grasslands

The sun rises over the vast savannas of Lumo Conservancy in Taita Taveta, casting a golden glow across the horizon. Elephants move calmly across the rangelands, leaving soft footprints in the soil. Nearby, antelopes and other herbivores feed in groups, nibbling at the tough grasses. The land, though alive, bears the marks of a harsh climate scarred by heat and irregular rains. Yet just beneath the open-cracked soil is a hidden network, a secret force of life that continues to perpetuate life in a chaotic paradigm of failure even at a time when everything else fails. This hidden life is arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). These fungi live in the soil and form a symbiotic relationship with plants. You may not see them, but their impact is clear. Without AMF, many plants would struggle to survive in the tough conditions of the rangelands.

Why AMF Matter in Drylands

Rangelands operate under delicate balances, and threats arise regularly. In fact, overgrazing, erosion, and climatic changes threaten to disrupt that balance at almost every drop of water. Every inch of fertile soil is highly valuable. AMF weave their stories as partners, extending delicate hyphae through soil and root systems and pulling nutrients and moisture from places roots cannot reach alone. By knowing these beneficial organisms, we engage with more than just scientific curiosity; we expand pathways to resilience for landscapes where people and wildlife flourish on resilient ecosystems.

My Journey to Taita-Taveta

Lumo is a community-based conservancy where pastoralists mix freely with diverse wildlife. It is managed by local communities, and it is situated near Mwatate in Taita-Taveta County. The sanctuary spans 48,000 acres and is composed of Lualenyi, Mramba Communal Grazing Area, and Oza Community lands, which together form the acronym “LUMO.

Lions roam grasslands, as shepherds herd their cows across grazing areas that they also share with lions. This living laboratory offered an ideal stage for asking critical questions:

● What kinds of AMF inhabit these soils?

● How do fungal communities differ across diverse habitats?

● What role do they play in supporting vegetation growth?

These questions guided my steps across the red-soil paths, under endless skies, with the awareness that beneath my feet lay untold stories.

Digging Beneath the Surface

To respond to these queries, I collected soil samples from the conservancy to perform further laboratory analysis at CIFOR-ICRAF's distinguished laboratories. The experience of fieldwork has its own cadence; from the dawn of morning walks in the cold air with nice songs sung by weaverbirds, to a point of noontime where the sun bakes every inch of ground around, and sweat drips like water as the heat takes over.

I followed the sampling protocol outlined by SPUN. At each sampling site, two transects were placed at right angles to mark a 30 m × 30 m (900 m²) plot. Within this area, nine subsamples (5 cm in diameter and 10 cm deep) were collected. These nine subsamples were then combined into a single plastic bag to form one composite sample (see figure below for the sampling scheme).

In Lumo Conservancy, I set out to sample across four land use types that each tell a different story of life on the rangelands: croplands, shrublands, grasslands, and riparian zones. The croplands, shaped by years of human hands, bear the marks of planting and harvest. The shrublands, with their scattered bushes and small trees, provide both shelter and food for wildlife. The grasslands stretch wide, their tough grasses braving the sun and grazing herds. And along the rivers, where water allows a richer burst of greenery and attracts a variety of animals. Whenever I scooped the soil into my collection tubes I felt like I was lifting a whole world of life that was unseen in those moments, After completing my soil sampling I began DNA extraction to uncover hidden fingerprints of fungal life. This was followed by PCR and sequencing at Scripps to determine what species were present from these landscapes.

What the Data Signalled

One story repeated itself: dominance of Glomus. Other genera, such as Acaulospora, Claroideoglomus, Paraglomus, and a few more, appeared. This dominance suggests that Glomus plays a central role in nutrient acquisition, soil structure improvement, and plant stress tolerance in the ecosystem, and its local prevalence could be leveraged as a native bioinoculant to enhance crop growth, restore degraded lands, and improve overall soil health.

Lessons for the Rangelands

The findings matter beyond academic circles. AMF support rangeland plants in profound ways:

● They restore degraded soils by improving structure and fertility.

● They boost productivity, creating food for grazers and stability for herders.

● They strengthen drought resistance, keeping plants alive when rain fails.

For regions such as Taita Taveta, these hidden alliances can determine if the land thrives or declines.

The Power of Partnership

Collaboration is at the heart of research. My work was carried out through CIFOR-ICRAF in partnership with SPUN - the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks. Together, we connected local knowledge with global insights on fungi. Our study on AMF in Lumo adds just one more piece to the vast puzzle of Earth’s underground biodiversity. This work matters far beyond Lumo. Protecting underground life means protecting the foundation of all biodiversity. When below-ground fungal communities are unhealthy, restoration slows, crops produce less, and animals have less to eat. Behind every conservation story lies this unseen network, a quiet army working beneath the surface to sustain soil, ecosystems, and ultimately, our lives.

Field Reflections

Traversing Lumo's savannahs, I frequently felt a profound humility. So much of life exists in the unseen. Plants extend, reaching higher heights because below they are being fed by fungal partners. Elephants graze because grasses endure through the harsh seasons. Pastoralists walk cattle across fields that fungi sustain in silence.

Each scoop of soil reminded me that survival is not just a story of lions or acacia trees; it is also the story of hyphae mess work, weaving our lifelines beneath our feet.

Why the World Should Care

Global conversations about climate resilience tend to focus on technology, policy or finance. However, resilience starts underground. Fungal hyphae networks enhance plant vitality, protect against droughts and stabilize soils. Without fungi, rangelands lose health, communities lose livelihoods and wildlife loses habitats.

Whether in the savannas of Lumo or drylands throughout Africa, fungi may offer solutions to one of our century's greatest challenges by enabling us to live with less water while uncertainty increases.

A Closing Thought

The rangelands of Lumo are beautiful to see and be silent in. The golden horizons are stunning, and the roaming of elephants and other wildlife is enchanting. However, there is an invisible and underappreciated group of life forms still present but dependent on the soil, and they are critical to survival.

Our writing, along with other scientific publications, has one recurring message: resilience is not only about what happens above-ground, but also what continues to grow below-ground. Therefore, the next time you are standing in a dry grassland, look around, and then look down at the soil. Remember, under the surface, mostly unseen but absolutely existing, are communities of life holding together life-sustaining connections.

Learn more:

Unveiling the Underground Allies of Rangelands: A Case Study from Lumo Conservancy