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Searching for Hidden Fungi in the Sonoran Desert
Mycorrhizal fungi are vital to ecosystems around the world, but remain largely understudied, especially in arid regions. They may prove critical to the survival of fragile deserts stressed by climate change.
By Wyatt Myskow
SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK, Ariz.—As the sprawl of homes begins to dissipate on the outskirts of Tucson, forests of saguaro cacti rise in its place, their arms twisting and twirling as if waving a welcome to the Sonoran desert. Fields of prickly pears and cholla cactuses, blooming creosote bushes and green-limbed palo verde trees spread beneath and between the beckoning icons of the Southwest.