Tropical forests account for about 50 % of all world biodiversity, playing a key role in the functioning of the globe. These forests are divided into six natural vegetation formations: Lowland evergreen rainforests, Semi-evergreen rainforests, Dry forests, Lower montane forests, Upper montane forests and Mangroves. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF - Glomeromycotina) are among the organisms commonly found and directly related to the balance and functioning of these plant communities. This review shows the record of 228 AMF species in tropical forests, distributed in 14 families and 35 genera, representing 75 % of the known richness of this group of soil fungi. The Dry forests exhibit the largest number of AMF species. Areas under anthropic influence in the various forest formations generally present a decrease in richness when compared to natural preserved areas.