Lignin is an abundant and complex plant polymer that may limit litter decomposition, yet lignin is sometimes a minor constituent of soil organic carbon (SOC). Accounting for diversity in soil ...

Filamentous fungi play a key role as decomposers in Earth’s nutrient cycles. In soils, substrates are heterogeneously distributed in microenvironments. Hence, individual hyphae of a mycelium may ...

Climate projection requires an accurate understanding for the decomposition of soil organic carbon (SOC) and its response to warming. However, the wide array of organic molecules in the soil exhibits ...

Nature designed lignin, the tough woody polymer in the walls of plant cells, to bind and protect the cellulose sugars that plants use for energy. For this reason, lignin is a major challenge for those ...

Researchers have identified a rain forest microbe that feasts on the lignin in plant leaf litter, making it a potential ally for the cost-effective production of advanced biofuels. Nature designed ...