Functional importance of microbial community in biotic interactions controlling spruce seedling regeneration

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26850093
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Forest science
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Fukasawa Yu 東北大学, 農学研究科, 助教 (30594808)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 枯死木 / 倒木更新 / 菌類 / 分解 / トウヒ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Picea is a dominant tree genus in boreal and subalpine area in Northern hemisphere, and includes important timber species as well. A unique feature of this genus is its regeneration mainly occurs on coarse woody materials such as logs and stumps. However, biotic interactions between wood inhabiting diverse organisms and Picea seedlings are poorly understood. Recently, the authors revealed that wood decay type strongly determines seedling regeneration on deadwood. Wood decay type is a categorization of fungal decay preference for wood structural components, lignin and holocellulose. If lignin was decayed, the wood becomes whitish and fibrous texture and is called white rot, whereas if lignin was not decayed, the wood becomes browny and cubic texture and is called brown rot.
In this study, I focus on the wood decay fungal community and their decay function, and its effects on biotic interactions necessary for Picea seedling regeneration on deadwood.

Free Research Field

森林微生物生態学