Audrius Menkis

I study tree pathogens, fungal communities and interactions between trees, insects and microorganisms, with a particular interest in forest nurseries and disease diagnostics.

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ORCID

Biotic Forest Damages — Interactions, Ecology and Management
Course leader. Teaching explores insects, fungi and their interactions with trees, with attention to organisms that affect forest ecosystems and forestry.

From fungal diversity to tree health

My research spans the ecology of beneficial fungi and the biology of pathogens, linking fundamental questions with forest health challenges.

• Tree pathogens & insect associations
  Invasive pathogens, their biology and control, and microorganisms carried by tree-damaging insects.
• Nursery health & diagnostics
  Beneficial and pathogenic fungi in nursery seedlings and afforestation, including molecular approaches to disease diagnosis.
• Fungal ecology & diversity
  Population biology, genetics and the ecological roles of fungi associated with wood and soil.
• Airborne fungal communities
  Interpreting airborne environmental DNA in relation to fungal dispersal, persistence and sampling duration.

Forest health assessment

SLU Forest Damage Centre
Analyst contributing to outbreak risk assessment, knowledge synthesis and support during forest damage events.

IUFRO Working Party 7.03.04
Deputy Coordinator, Diseases and Insects in Forest Nurseries. The working party connects researchers working on nursery pests and diseases.

Growth and quality of Pinus sylvestris seedlings grown in sawdust-based, peat-free growing media. Gustavsson Ruus A, Gräns D, Menkis A, Hjelm K, Olson Å. (2026) Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 41,126-136 

Metabarcoding reveals rich and diverse aeromycobiota in protected oak forests. Lygis V, Marčiulynas A, Plepytė T, Šulčius S, Menkis A. (2026) Microbial Ecology 89, 96. 

Seasonal variability in Norway spruce defense capacity to a bark beetle-associated phytopathogenic fungus: effects of weather, soil moisture and tree phenology. Öhrn P, Berlin M, Weslien J-O, Elfstrand M, Krokene P, Jönsson AM, Menkis A. (2026) European Journal of Forest Research 145:64 

A fungal perspective: ecological reinterpretation of short-term temporal variation in airborne eDNA. Morera A, Elfstrand M, Menkis A, Olson Å. (2026) Methods in Ecology and Evolution 00, 1–5. 

Phylogenetic and phenotypic diversity of Phoma isolates from Swedish forest nurseries. Bengtsson E, Larsson R, Olson Å, Elfstrand M, Sanchez-Garcia M, Menkis A. (2026) Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 41, 511-525