In mid-May, we started a new greenhouse experiment in the Soil Ecology Working Group, which aims to study the impact of soil biodiversity and species’ ecological niches on ecosystem functions. The soils used in the experiment come from 50 fields in Southern Estonia, which have previously been studied within the framework of the FunFarm project.

In addition, we will also focus on the interactions between soil biota and fertilization to better understand the functioning and sustainable management of agricultural soils. The end of the experiment is planned for August. Stay tuned!

The research data related to the experiment is an important input for our students: Jaak Pärtel will discuss the impact of starch fungi in his master’s thesis, while Roland Lehemets will also study saprotrophic and pathogenic fungi in his doctoral thesis.