Recent publications

Fungi that have previously only been known through DNA sequences, have now been cultivated and classified. The fungi, which have lived hidden underground for millions of years, represent a class of fungi that is new to scientists, Archaeorhizomycetes.

Read the article in Science here. 

Research area

I head a small group, conducting research about fungal ecology in boreal forest ecosystems. We study the interplay between fungal communities and their environment; how community composition depends on environmental parameters and disturbances, but also how fungi affect their environment, primarily as degraders of organic matter.

We approach the diverse ecological roles of fungi as decomposers and ectomycorrhizal symbionts from different viewpoints; from gene expression and biochemistry via community ecology to ecosystem modelling. Molecular methods and bioinformatics are important tools, and we specialise in the use of high throughput sequencing of molecular markers to analyse fungal communities in complex field samples. I am a member of the editorial board of 'Fungal Ecology' and the advisory board for 'New Phytologist'. As director of undergraduate studies, I am also engaged in teaching and organise a yearly recurring master's course in Soil Biology.

CV

Publication list

Chitinase expression in two interacting wood rotting fungi (Picture: Björn Lindahl).

Ongoing Projects:

Competition between the mycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungal communities of boreal forest soils - Erica Sterkenburg, Karina Clemmensen, Roger Finlay & Björn Lindahl

Fungal communities in coniferous forest in relation to soil fertility - Erica Sterkenburg, Karina Clemmensen & Björn Lindahl

The potential of continuous cover forestry to maintain diverse ectomycorrhizal communities - Erica Sterkenburg, Roger Finlay, Björn Lindahl & Anders Dahlberg

Functioning of litter decomposing fungi in carbon and nitrogen circulation in boreal forests - Johanna Boberg, Jan Stenlid, Roger Finlay & Björn Lindahl

Fungal peroxidases involved in the degradation of recalcitrant organic matter in boreal forest ecosystems - Inga Bödeker, Karina Clemmensen, Åke Olson & Björn Lindahl

Fungal successions in a long-term boreal forest chronosequence - Karina Clemmensen, Björn Lindahl, Anders Dahlberg, Jan Stenlid & Roger Finlay

Tree-fungi-soil interactions in the subarctic-alpine forest-heath ecotone - Karina Clemmensen & Björn Lindahl

Fungal community composition in alpine forest - effects of tree species, soil warming and elevated CO2 levels - Björn Lindahl & Frank Hagedorn

SCATA - Sequence Clustering and Analysis of Tagged Amplicons - Mikael Brandström Durling, Karina Clemmensen, Jan Stenlid & Björn Lindahl

New PCR primers for amplification of the ITS2 region of fungi - Katarina Ihrmark, Inga Bödeker, Mikael Brandström Durling, Karina Clemmensen, Karelyn Cruz-Martinez, Hanna Friberg, Ariana Kubartova, Ylva Persson, Jessica Schenck, Jan Stenlid & Björn Lindahl