Soil and root samples from three arid sites in southern Namibia were analysed for the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Twelve species were recorded, with Glomus aggregatum being the dominant spore type. Species composition appeared to be influenced by geographic distance (or abiotic factors that vary with geographic distance) of the study sites but not by land utilization. This is supported by analyses of the nuclear ribosomal genes of glomeromycetes colonizing plant roots. In contrast to that, mycorrhization varied under different land utilization regimes.