Aims and Mission
Soil fungi control many ecosystem processes. They act as beneficial mutualists in mycorrhizal symbioses, as decomposers or as plant pathogens. All these ecological fungal groups are crucial for quality and quantity of plants and are of special importance in plant production systems for which we use the research platform Scheyern.
At the ecosystem process level there is a close link between plants that provide the energy in form of carbon for biological soil processes and soil nutrient cycles. Our specific aim is to better understand the interplay between soil fungi and plants especially the role of fungi in providing nutrients and water to plants and how this is influenced by environmantal disturbances.
We focus on extreme weather conditions with extended droughts and heavy rainfall events affecting nutrient and water supply to plants and on other factors affecting the plant-soil carbon cycle such as elevated levels of atmospheric ozone.
We aim at contributing to a better understanding of the functional role of mycorrhizae and other soil fungi in their habitats and under environmental stress.
