Climate change and forest management may threaten blueberry microbes in Finland

The diversity of symbiotic microbes in blueberries differs between southern and northern Finland, according to a new study published in Environmental Microbiome."The study suggests that climate change and intensive forestry practices can change the diversity of symbiotic microbes in the fruits of blueberry, which in turn may affect, for example, the taste or shelf life of the fruits," says University of Oulu Professor Anna Maria Pirttilä.Bilberry, or European Blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) is one of the most economically important wild forest berries in northern Europe, and lately the berries have been the subject of increasing research. However, the knowledge on microbes living in the fruit, and the berries in particular, is still in its infancy."Symbiotic microbes can play an important role in the formation of health-promoting compounds in berries. Specifically, the accumulation of symbiotic microbes in berries, and the factors that determine their diversity, are poorly ...