More than 750 000 euros in funding for the University of Jyväskylä to uncover the hidden role of soil fauna in carbon cycling

More than 750 000 euros in funding for the University of Jyväskylä to uncover the hidden role of soil fauna in carbon cycling

The soil is teeming with life, harboring the majority of terrestrial biodiversity, therefore referred also to as the "poor man's tropical rainforest". These "rainforests" are the largest terrestrial carbon reservoirs and thus play a critical role in the global carbon cycling processes.

While the impact of soil microbes on carbon cycling is widely acknowledged, the role of soil animals like mites, springtails, and other small creatures remains less understood. However, soil animals play a crucial role in regulating microbial activity and enzyme secretion, which are essential processes in carbon cycling.

- Therefore, the research will also focus on the complex web of interactions between different soil organisms and how these relationships affect carbon utilization and allocation, says Academy Research Fellow Sten Anslan from the Faculty of Mathematics and Science.

Quantifying the role of soil faunal communities on carbon cycling dynamics by accounting for their interactions with other soil-inhabiting organisms brings more realistic predictions about soil carbon cycling in a changing world.

The research project will start in 2024 and run until 2028, funded by the Research Council of Finland.

Sten Anslan