Thesis#12020
Compositional and functional shifts in belowground fungal communities in tropical land-use systems
Tropical low-land rainforests are one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world and provide valuable ecosystem services such as climate change mitigation. They are immensely threatened by expanding human land-use. Especially in South-East Asia, deforestation and replacement with cash crop monoculture plantations such as rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) have led to drastic losses in biodiversity and to ecosystem degradation. Recently, the research focus has increasingly extended to belowground demonstrating strong structuring effects of human land-use on soil mi...