Unveiling the impact of deforestation on soil saprotrophic fungal community composition in Mau Forest ecosystem in rift valley, Kenya

Kennedy Okoth Ododa; Fredrick Otieno Ogolla

doi:10.32734/jopt.v13i2.22886

Authors

Kennedy Okoth Ododa Chuka University
Fredrick Otieno Ogolla Eszterházy Károly Catholic University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32734/jopt.v13i2.22886

Keywords:

deforestation, fungal diversity, Mau Forest, saprotrophic fungi, soil biodiversity.

Abstract

This study assessed how deforestation affected the diversity, richness, and community composition of soil saprotrophic fungus in Kenya's Mau Forest. Soil samples were collected from 60 plots across three disturbance levels (undisturbed, partially deforested, and deforested sites) during rainy and dry seasons. Fungal diversity was studied using colony-forming units (CFUs) and Shannon diversity indices, while soil physicochemical properties (pH, organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus) were assessed. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), ANOVA, and Tukey's post hoc tests were used to evaluate differences and correlations. Fungal diversity and abundance significantly decreased with increasing disturbance. Diversity (Shannon index: 3.8 ± 0.3) and abundance (5.6 × 10⁵ CFU/g) were highest at undisturbed sites, followed by partially deforested (2.9 ± 0.4; 3.1 × 10⁵ CFU/g) and deforested (1.5 ± 0.2; 1.2 × 10⁵ CFU/g) sites. Boxplots showed significant differences, with the highest richness at undisturbed sites. NMDS revealed distinct fungal communities: Rhizopus and Mucor occurred in deforested areas, whereas Trichoderma and Penicillium dominated undisturbed sites. Fungal diversity and abundance were higher during the wet season but lowest at deforested sites throughout both seasons. Nitrogen (r = 0.78, p < 0.05) and organic matter (r = 0.84, p < 0.01) showed positive associations, whereas phosphorus showed a negative association (r = -0.65, p < 0.05). Deforested soils had the lowest nitrogen (2.1% ± 0.3) and organic matter (15.6% ± 1.2) compared with undisturbed soils (5.3% ± 0.9; 0.8% ± 0.1). The study emphasizes deforestation's negative consequences and the need for replanting and sustainable land-use practices.

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