Evaluating the linkages between fungal community succession and plant litter decomposition processes

Plant litter decomposition is a fundamental process that supports carbon and nutrient cycling. Soil microbes, such as fungi, play an important role in decaying litter. Changes in litter traits in decomposition process are largely related to fungal succession which varies with tree species or environmental differences. Recently, next-generation sequencing approaches are utilized for precisely describing the fungal community composition during succession. My interests are to evaluate the diversity of fungal community in soils of areas with different land-use histories by performing metagenome analyses, and to examine the relationships between fungal diversity and plant litter decomposition processes in these areas where restoration activities are currently conducred.