The project aims at opening the functions of forest wood-decaying fungi and associated microbes in bioconversion and cycling of deadwood carbon in the boreal forest ecosystem. During wood decomposition, emissions of carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds may change due to climate and seasonal variations. Generation of another greenhouse gas methane from decaying wood has been suggested. These variables are measured from specific deadwood at a boreal forest test site established in southern Finland. Fungal and microbial communities and their functions in decaying deadwood are investigated by next-generation sequencing and omics techniques. Special attention is given to bioinformatic construction of metabolic activities and potential biosynthetic gene clusters together with extraction and analysis of deadwood organic compounds. Research implementation constitutes integration of environmental data and biochemical analyses of collected materials obtained from the experimental site.

2022

2026