AusAMF: database of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in Australia

Abstract

MotivationArbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are integral to plant nutrient acquisition, carbon cycling, and ecosystem resilience, yet our knowledge of their biogeography is severely limited, especially in the Southern Hemisphere. Australia, despite its landmass and unique geoecological characteristics, has been vastly undersampled, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of AM fungal diversity and distribution. The AusAMF database was created to address this deficiency, the first release comprises AM fungal community data from 610 sampling locations across mainland Australia and Tasmania, collected between 2011 and 2023. Using standardised sampling, DNA extraction, sequencing methods and platforms, this database provides a robust resource for exploring spatial patterns in AM fungal diversity, community composition, and the ecological drivers shaping AM fungal biogeography. The AusAMF database will continue to be updated and maintain standardised approaches to facilitate future research into plant-mycorrhizal interactions, nutrient cycling, and to understand the broader role of AM fungi in ecosystem processes. The data here will provide the foundation for more informed management and conservation efforts in Australia while providing valuable data for global-scale analyses. Main types of variables containedGeoreferenced occurrence and abundance of high-throughput amplicon sequences of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Spatial location and grainAustralia. Decimal degrees between 0.000001 - 0.1 resolution. Time period and grain2011-2023. Month and year of sampling. Major taxa and level of measurementArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi identified to family, genus, and virtual taxon (VT). Geographic occurrence and amplicon sequence abundance. Software formatInteract with data via online application. Dataset available as .csv files and raw sequencing data as .fastq files.