Project R-17056

Unravelling the post-mortem fate of mycorrhizal fungi (Research)

Living mycorrhizal fungi receive huge amounts of photosynthetically fixed carbon (C) from plants, and as such potentially are key contributors to C sequestration, a central mechanism mitigating climate change. Yet the post-mortem fate of the fungal necromass, in which this C is stored, is virtually unknown. This project will determine how decomposition rates and the structure of microbial decomposer communities differ among main guild of mycorrhizal fungi under contrasting environmental conditions. I will examine how (1) soils dominated by distinct mycorrhizal plants, (2) agricultural soil management practices, and (3) projected future climate change conditions influence mycorrhizal necromass decomposition. Experiments will be conducted using state-of-the-art research infrastructures - the UHasselt Mycotron, the UHasselt and ULiège Ecotron facilities, and the ULiège SOLRESIDUS agricultural field experiment, enabling controlled yet realistic decomposition assays. These experiments will be combined with amplicon sequencing to characterize saprotrophic microbial community dynamics. By resolving how environmental context shapes mycorrhizal fungal necromass turnover, the project’s results will open novel avenues in research aimed to understand terrestrial C cycling and provide an empirical basis for sustainable land management under current and future climate scenarios.

01 November 2026 - 30 November 2030