Soil biology at the Department of Soil and Environment

Last changed: 09 December 2022
A hand raises on moss, yellow threads appear under, photo.
Under a layer of moss, the mycelia of many different species of fungi can be seen. Photo: Johanna Boberg.

Fungi, bacteria and animals form diverse communities in soils, interacting with plant roots, soil organic matter and minerals. Soil organisms are essential components of production systems in agriculture and forestry and central in regulating ecosystem carbon storage and nutrient cycling.

A better understanding of soil biology enables us to better foresee how ecosystems respond to environmental alternations, such as agricultural practices, forestry, pollution or climate change.

We conduct research in the following areas:

  • Community ecology of soil fungi
  • Mycorrhizal symbiosis
  • Formation and decomposition of soil organic matter
  • Metagenomic and metatranscriptomic methods to assess microbial communities and activities

The Soil Biology Research Group

Contact

Black and white portrait photo of a man, photo.Professor Björn Lindahl

Department of Soil and Environment
bjorn.lindahl@slu.se , 018-672720