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
Woody encroachment strongly affects the soil biota of a grassland
May 2021
Woody plant encroachment on grasslands affects more
than just the aboveground vegetation. A study conducted on a wooded meadow shows that belowground eukaryotic communities co-vary with the plant cover, and changes comprise both richness and composition of soil biota. To assess this, the study employed soil DNA metabarcoding of several biotic groups and demonstrated the complex effects of woody plant encroachment on the belowground functional structure of the grassland.
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