Project R-12422

Impacts of plant-microbial symbiotic relations on processes of plant litter decomposition and soil C sequestration. (Research)

Symbiotic relations between plants and microorganisms, such as mycorrhizas are known to mediate soil microbial communities and to have a potential to affect biogeochemical cycles. Yet the mechanisms of these effects are understood poorly in terms of processes involved as well as in terms of quantification of their impacts. This project aims to examine impacts of plant-microbial symbiotic relationships on mechanisms of litter decomposition and soil C accumulation. The impacts of arbuscular, ecto and ericoid-mycorrhizas on dynamics of soil decomposer communities, on carbon release from the decomposing litter and on the fate of that carbon: does it get respired and released to the atmosphere? does this take labile or stable forms in soil, and if so, through which mechanisms?

01 October 2021 - 30 September 2025