Microbial wood degradation in a composting environment: influencing factors and improvement strategies

Microbial wood degradation can be harnessed for sustainable heat production through compost heat recovery systems. This PhD research aims to improve this process by examining how key environmental

and process-related factors, including wood particle size, nutrient availability, environmental pH, oxygen availability, and bioactive organic additives, influence microbial activity and wood-degrading performance of undefined composting consortia. The work provides fundamental insight and practical guidance for optimizing microbial wood degradation in wood-based composting systems. More broadly, it advances understanding of microbial decomposition of lignocellulosic materials and contributes to the development of sustainable resource management within a circular bioeconomy.