A5053031318- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis
- Plant and animal studies
- Agronomic Practices and Intercropping Systems
- Fungal Biology and Applications
- Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Nematode management and characterization studies
- Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
- Gut microbiota and health
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Agriculture and Biological Studies
- Allelopathy and phytotoxic interactions
- Crop Yield and Soil Fertility
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Plant and fungal interactions
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Organic Food and Agriculture
- Ecosystem dynamics and resilience
- Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology
University of Zurich
2016-2025
Agroscope
2016-2025
Utrecht University
2015-2024
Federal Office for Agriculture
2008-2022
Agroécologie
2018-2021
Institute for Sustainability
2021
Institut de Biologia Evolutiva
2018-2021
Trouw Nutrition (Brazil)
2017
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
2001-2012
University of Basel
1998-2003
There is growing recognition that classifying terrestrial plant species on the basis of their function (into 'functional types') rather than higher taxonomic identity, a promising way forward for tackling important ecological questions at scale ecosystems, landscapes or biomes. These include those vegetation responses to and effects on, environmental changes (e.g. in climate, atmospheric chemistry, land use other disturbances). also consensus about shortlist traits should underlie such...
Plant functional traits are the features (morphological, physiological, phenological) that represent ecological strategies and determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels influence ecosystem properties. Variation in plant traits, trait syndromes, has proven useful for tackling many important questions at a range of scales, giving rise demand standardised ways measure ecologically meaningful traits. This line research been among most fruitful avenues...
Significance Biological diversity is the foundation for maintenance of ecosystems. Consequently it thought that anthropogenic activities reduce in ecosystems threaten ecosystem performance. A large proportion biodiversity within terrestrial hidden below ground soils, and impact altering its composition on performance still poorly understood. Using a novel experimental system to alter levels soil community composition, we found reductions abundance presence organisms results decline multiple...
Abstract The soil microbiome is highly diverse and comprises up to one quarter of Earth’s diversity. Yet, how such a functionally complex influences ecosystem functioning remains unclear. Here we manipulated the in experimental grassland ecosystems observed that diversity microbial network complexity positively influenced multiple functions related nutrient cycling (e.g. multifunctionality). Grassland microcosms with poorly developed networks reduced richness had lowest multifunctionality...
Abstract By changing soil properties, plants can modify their growth environment. Although the microbiota is known to play a key role in resulting plant-soil feedbacks, proximal mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unknown. We found that benzoxazinoids, class of defensive secondary metabolites are released by roots cereals such as wheat and maize, alter root-associated fungal bacterial communities, decrease plant growth, increase jasmonate signaling defenses, suppress herbivore...
Rare species are increasingly recognized as crucial, yet vulnerable components of Earth's ecosystems. This is also true for microbial communities, which typically composed a high number relatively rare species. Recent studies have demonstrated that can an over-proportional role in biogeochemical cycles and may be hidden driver microbiome function. In this review, we provide ecological overview the biosphere, including causes rarity impacts on ecosystem functioning. We discuss how...
Root-associated microbes play a key role in plant performance and productivity, making them important players agroecosystems. So far, very few studies have assessed the impact of different farming systems on root microbiota it is still unclear whether agricultural intensification influences structure complexity microbial communities. We investigated conventional, no-till, organic wheat fungal communities using PacBio SMRT sequencing samples collected from 60 farmlands Switzerland. Organic...
Almost all natural plant communities contain arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). We hypothesized that the species composition of AMF could have potential to determine community structure if growth response different or varies among species. To test existence such a differential we conducted pot experiment where each three species, Hieracium pilosella, Bromus erectus, and Festuca ovina were inoculated with four mixture these uninoculated. The originated from calcareous grassland in which also...
Enhancing biodiversity in cropping systems is suggested to promote ecosystem services, thereby reducing dependency on agronomic inputs while maintaining high crop yields. We assess the impact of several diversification practices above- and belowground services by reviewing 98 meta-analyses performing a second-order meta-analysis based 5160 original studies comprising 41,946 comparisons between diversified simplified practices. Overall, enhances biodiversity, pollination, pest control,...
Summary 1. Almost all plants are engaged in symbiotic relationships with mycorrhizal fungi. These soil fungi can promote plant growth by supplying limiting nutrients to roots return for assimilates. 2. Many not host specific and one fungal individual colonize interconnect a considerable number of plants. The existence these so‐called networks implies that have the potential facilitate other distribute resources among irrespective their size, status or identity. In this paper, we explore...
Harnessing beneficial microbes presents a promising strategy to optimize plant growth and agricultural sustainability. Little is known which extent how specifically soil microbiomes can be manipulated through different cropping practices. Here, we investigated wheat root microbial communities in system experiment consisting of conventional organic managements, both with tillage intensities. While richness was marginally affected, found pronounced effects on community composition, were...
Abstract The majority of studies on environmental change focus the response single species and neglect fundamental biotic interactions, such as mutualism, competition, predation, parasitism, which complicate patterns persistence. Under global warming, disruption community interactions can arise when differ in their sensitivity to rising temperature, leading mismatched phenologies and/or dispersal patterns. To study persistence under climate change, it is critical consider ecology evolution...
Abstract While soil erosion drives land degradation, the impact of on microbial communities and multiple functions remains unclear. This hinders our ability to assess true ecosystem services restore eroded environments. Here we examined effect at two sites with contrasting texture climates. Eroded plots had lower network complexity, fewer taxa, associations among relative non-eroded plots. Soil also shifted community composition, decreased abundances dominant phyla such as Proteobacteria,...
• Previous studies have shown that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can influence plant diversity and ecosystem productivity. However, little is known about the effects of AMF different taxa on other important community properties such as nutrient acquisition, survival soil structure. We established experimental grassland microcosms tested impact a number characteristics. also whether species benefited from same or in subsequent growing seasons. enhanced phosphorus aggregation several...
Abstract One of the primary challenges our time is to enhance global food production and security. Most assessments in agricultural systems focus on plant yield. Yet, these analyses neglect temporal yield stability, or variability reliability across years. Here we perform a meta-analysis assess stability three major cropping systems: organic agriculture conservation (no-tillage) vs. conventional agriculture, comparing 193 studies based 2896 comparisons. Organic has, per unit yield,...