Litter Decomposing Fungi in Boreal Forests. Their Function in Carbon and Nitrogen. Doctoral Thesis. Acta Universitatis agriculturae Sueciae. 2009:75

Decomposition of soil organic matter connects the global carbon (C) cycle with the turnover of nitrogen (N), but exactly how the availability of N affects the soil C turnover is unclear. In boreal forest soils, fungi are essential to litter decomposition. Most litter decomposing fungi form large mycelia and have a well developed capacity to translocate resources, such as carbohydrates and nutrients, within their mycelia. Translocation by litter fungi may enable efficient utilization of spatially separated substrates differing in respect to their quality and thus have a major influence on decomposition and nutrient dynamics. In order to isolate the different mechanisms controlling C and N turnover by litter decomposing fungi, controlled laboratory studies were conducted with the known, common litter fungi Marasmius androsaceus and Mycena epipterygia. Furthermore, some litter fungi with unknown functional capability were tested for their ability to decompose pine needles and potential effects of interspecific interactions for C and N dynamics were also assessed