A new ecological study has started as a part of a training course, run by the SNS network ForestFun. The purpose is to investigate the diversity of epiphytic forest lichens and associated fungi, comparing that of old growth forests to managed forests. The study is part of a training course.
In the middle of August the ForestFun network organized the first of three courses concerning epiphytic forest lichens and associated fungi in boreal old growth spruce forests. This field course was run in Saxnäs (Sweden) and had special focus on calicioid species. Seventeen students from Sweden, Norway and Finland participated in the course.
In this training-by-doing course, the participants is taking active part in a small research project, from data-collection (at the workshop), through analyses (optional), to publishing results as a small pilot study resulting from three separate courses (i.e., post-project). The course participants may also take part in discussion seminars (post-course) by selecting topics, presenting, leading discussions, and contributing towards a popular science publication.
The course program for this first course included field trips, determination of samples, lectures, and contributing to the DNA barcode library of calicioid lichens and lichen-associated fungi. As planned, the network also started an ecological study, the purpose of which is to investigate the diversity of epiphytic forest lichens and associated fungi across an oceanic (western Norway)-continental (eastern Finland) gradient of central Fennoscandia, comparing that of old growth vs managed forests.
A central goal of the project is to transfer knowledge between generations and to bring biologists working in different sectors of society together.
Learn more about the course: Field course in epiphytic forest lichens and associated fungi with focus on calicioid species – ForBio (uio.no)
The second and third courses will be organized in Norway and Finland respectively, in 2024.
The organizers of this first course include Prof. Mika Bendiksby (PI), Prof. Göran Thor (main lecturer), Ph.D. Andreas Frisch, Ph.D. Annina Kantelinen, Prof. Em. Per-Anders Esseen, and FM Isak Vahlström.
With its focus on lichens and lichen-associated fungi, the ForestFun project focuses on highly relevant but often neglected groups of forest organisms in the Nordic countries. It creates a strongly needed arena for knowledge transfer across generations, borders, sectors and disciplines in the fields of forestry and biodiversity research while at the same time training a new generation of scientists. In detail, the project will…
- Contribute to the training of the next generation
- Foster scientific exchange and networking
- Conduct a small pilot study