Soils are home to living communities of great diversity: a single handful of soil can host hundreds of species of fungi!
Researchers specializing in microbial ecology from the “Agroecology” mixed research unit, attached to INRAE (the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique) Bourgogne Franche-Comté, have inventoried soil fungi using genetic sequencing techniques. They were thus able to study the composition, organization and distribution of mycelial networks in different types of soil, the influence of ecological conditions and human use of soil. They open a window to us on a little-known and fascinating world.
Completing the Atlas Français des Bactéries du Sol, this work constitutes an advance in the knowledge of soils and their functioning. It participates in a general dynamic which aims to meet the challenge of soil conservation over the coming decades.
Summary in French:
Les sols abritent des communautés vivantes d’une très grande diversité : une seule poignée de terre peut héberger des centaines d’espèces de champignons !
Les chercheurs spécialistes de l’écologie microbienne de l’unité mixte de recherche « Agroécologie », rattachée à l’INRAE Bourgogne Franche-Comté ont inventorié les champignons des sols grâce aux techniques de séquençage génétique. Ils ont ainsi pu étudier la composition, l’organisation et la répartition des réseaux mycéliens dans les différents types de sols, l’influence des conditions écologiques et de l’utilisation des sols par l’homme. Ils nous ouvrent une fenêtre sur un monde méconnu et fascinant.
Venant compléter l’Atlas Français des Bactéries du Sol, cet ouvrage constitue une avancée dans la connaissance des sols et de leur fonctionnement. Il participe à une dynamique générale qui vise à relever le défi de la conservation des sols au cours des prochaines décennies.
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