Change language
dehaze

Plant Ecology Laboratory

Research in our lab focuses on diversity patterns in biological communities, and on the interactions underlying these patterns. The main questions we address are: how do communities vary along natural gradients and gradients of human impact? What are the major assembly rules shaping communities; and are they attributable to biotic interactions or environmental heterogeneity? What are the roles of different biotic interactions - including competition, facilitation, herbivory and symbiosis - in structuring communities? Read more

News archive - May

Assessment of the correlation in the composition of plant and AM fungal communities

May 2016

New paper is asking how efficiently plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi disperse into early successional ecosystems, and which, if either of the two, symbiotic partner drives the successional dynamics. To study that, samples were collected from successional series in two islands in Eastern Baltic Sea. In the study sites, plant and AM fungal communities were strongly correlated at small spatial and temporal scales. The results of this study suggest that AM fungi may drive plant community composition.

Garcia de Leon, D.; Moora, M.; Öpik, M.; Neuenkamp, L.; Gerz, M.; Jairus, T.; Vasar, M.; Bueno, C. G.; Davison, J. & Zobel, M. 2016. Symbiont dynamics during ecosystem succession: co-occurring plant and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities. FEMS Microbiology Ecology doi:10.1093/femsec/fiw097.

Mari Moora was a keynote speaker of the POPBIO

May 2016

Our workgroup member Mari Moora was asked to be a keynote speaker of the 29th POPBIO conference in Trebon, Czech Republic on 5-7 May. The POPBIO is a conference for plant ecologists studying plant populations in context. Mari spoke about the role of AM symbiosis in the life of plants’ and plant communities.

News archive:

2022: march, august
2021: february, may, august, september, october
2020: february, august, september, december
2019: january, february, march, april, june, july, september, november
2018: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, october, november, december
2017: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, october, november, december
2016: january, february, march, april, may, july, august, october, november, december
2015: january, february, march, april, may, july, august, september, october, november
2014: january, february, may, july, august, september, november, december
2013: january, february, april, may, june, august, september, october, november, december
2012: january, february, march, april, may, june, august, september, october, november, december
2011: may, june, september, october, november