We connect basic science with practice and create evidence-based management guidelines to help maintain and restore soil biodiversity.
We are interested in patterns of soil biodiversity and its variation in natural and human-influenced systems. Our special focus is on fungi, including mycorrhizal fungi, but also bacteria, greenhouse gases and agricultural land-use.
NEWS
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Jaak Pärtel received II prize at the national student research paper competition
This month, good news just keeps coming! We are very pleased to announce that Jaak Pärtel received the 2nd prize at the natural sciences field for his bachelor’s thesis “Global Distribution and Abundance of Mycorrhizal Fungi” at the 2025 national student research paper competition. Jaak’s bachelor’s thesis was based on DNA samples isolated from soil […]
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Maarja Öpik elected as Academician of the Estonian Academy of Sciences
We are proud to announce that our institute’s director and professor of molecular ecology, Maarja Öpik, has been elected as an academician in the field of soil science by the General Assembly of the Estonian Academy of Sciences. As an academician, Maarja aims to strengthen dialogue between science, society, and policymakers, advocate for better research […]
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Inga Hiiesalu-Vahter introduced the Agroecology centre of excellence at the National Science Forum TeadusEST
On December 4, the Estonian Research Council organized the national science forum “TeadusEST 2025: Competition at the top of Estonian Science is Fierce”, which focused on Estonian centres of excellence and the evaluation of science. At the event, Inga Hiiesalu-Vahter introduced the centre of excellence AgroCropFuture, “Agroecology and new crops in the future climates”, where […]
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The mobile biology class visited Viimsi Gymnasium
On November 28, 2025, a career day was held at Viimsi Gymnasium, where, among other organizations, the Mobile Biology Class of the University of Tartu was invited. They conducted a workshop on cutting bacterial DNA with enzymes. During the workshop, students were able to learn about the latest bioscience methods and hear about various applications […]
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Integrating ecological theory and agroecosystems – natural experiments as useful tools in ecology
Tanel gave a talk at the annual conference of the Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences „Green Transition and Smart Solutions: Science for a Sustainable Future“, which took place on November 28th, 2025 in Oecologicum. He explained the suitability and importance of natural experiments and introduced several studies he has conducted in the past years. […]
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Tanel Vahter started his postdoc studies at the University of Helsinki
We are excited to announce that Tanel has started a postdoctoral fellowship funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie program at the University of Helsinki, where he works in the Spatial Foodweb Ecology group led by Professor Tomas Roslin. His postdoctoral fellowship will last from 2025 to 2027. Tanel’s research in Helsinki focuses on how past land […]
Soil Ecology
Who lives in the soil? What is their role there? How do they interact with each other?
How do management and natural disturbances affect soil organisms?
These are questions that the Soil ecology workgroup at the University of Tartu is investigating.
Our special focus is on fungi, including mycorrhizal fungi, but also bacteria, greenhouse gases and agricultural land-use. We are interested in patterns of soil biodiversity and its variation in natural systems such as grasslands and forests, and in human-influenced systems such as arable fields and disturbed areas.
We connect basic science with practice and create evidence-based management guidelines to help maintain and restore soil biodiversity. The soil is alive and the soil biota within it is what keeps the soil, plants and entire ecosystems functioning.