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Nutrient Dynamics and Retention in Fire-Affected Soils Treated with Engineered Fungal Mycelia Growth

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  2025 ASABE Annual International Meeting  2500841.(doi:10.13031/aim.202500841)
Authors:   Lune Martin, Henry Nakaana, Emmanuel Salifu
Keywords:   Fungal mycelium, wildfire soil, Pleurotus ostreatus, soil stabilization, nutrient retention

Abstract. Wildfires increasingly threaten soil health, stability, and post-burn ecosystem recovery, especially in arid regions where post-fire erosion and nutrient loss accelerate land degradation. This study presents preliminary outcomes of an ongoing experimental campaign investigating the potential of engineered growth of filamentous saprotrophic fungal mycelium to promote soil stabilization through biophysical and biochemical mechanisms including biologically induced mineralization. We report here the influence of engineered growth of Pleurotus ostreatus fungus on nutrient dynamics or retention in fire-affected soils. Soil samples were burned in a controlled wildfire pyrocosm prior to being inoculated with mycelium and monitored over a 10-day period. Soil nutrient changes were determined, and fungal colonization was assessed using visual observation/photography. The results show that fungal-treated soils retained higher levels of cations and elemental nutrients compared to untreated controls, with reduced nutrient loss and improved visual fungal colonization in burned soils. The findings highlight the potential of fungal bioremediation and mycelium-induced soil modification to stabilize post-fire soils and improve their recovery potential.

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