PhD Thesis
Influence of mycorrhizal types on soil organic matter decomposition
Support: Johanna Pausch
My work deals with the influence of different mycorrhizal associations on the decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM). The majority of plants offers a symbiotic association with mycorrhizal fungi. The plant transfers photosynthetic carbon to its fungal partner in exchange with nutrients like P, N, Cu or Zn from soil. The most common mycorrhizal associations are represented by the arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) and the ectomycorrhiza (ECM). These do not only differ in their type of association with plant roots, but also in their ability to decompose soil organic matter and in their way to influence nutrient fluxes in soil. In my work, I aim to elucidate the meaning of these differences for temperate habitats.
CO2 measurements in the field (Moores Creek, IU Bloomington, USA)