A5004631615- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Climate change and permafrost
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Forest ecology and management
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Plant responses to elevated CO2
- Bryophyte Studies and Records
- Tree-ring climate responses
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Cryospheric studies and observations
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Forest Management and Policy
- Climate variability and models
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
2016-2025
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
2021
Netherlands Institute of Ecology
2018
Southwest University
2016
Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
2008-2015
Lanzhou University
2013
Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
2003
University of Alaska Fairbanks
2003
University of Sheffield
1997-2001
• Global-scale quantification of relationships between plant traits gives insight into the evolution world's vegetation, and is crucial for parameterizing vegetation–climate models. A database was compiled, comprising data hundreds to thousands species core 'leaf economics' leaf lifespan, mass per area, photosynthetic capacity, dark respiration, nitrogen phosphorus concentrations, as well potassium, N-use efficiency (PNUE), N : P ratio. While mean trait values differed functional types,...
Abstract Question: A set of easily‐measured (‘soft’) plant traits has been identified as potentially useful predictors ecosystem functioning in previous studies. Here we aimed to discover whether the screening techniques remain operational widely contrasted circumstances, test for existence axes variation particular sets traits, and their links with ‘harder’ proven importance functioning. Location: central‐western Argentina, central England, northern upland Iran, north‐eastern Spain....
Abstract Predicting ecosystem responses to global change is a major challenge in ecology. A critical step that understand how changing environmental conditions influence processes across levels of ecological organization. While direct scaling from individual dynamics can lead robust and mechanistic predictions, new approaches are needed appropriately translate questions through the community level. Species invasion, loss, turnover all necessitate this processes, but predicting such changes...
Ecology Letters (2011) Abstract Understanding the sensitivity of tundra vegetation to climate warming is critical forecasting future biodiversity and feedbacks climate. In situ experiments accelerate change on a small scale forecast responses local plant communities. Limitations this approach include apparent site‐specificity results uncertainty about power short‐term studies anticipate longer term change. We address these issues with synthesis 61 experimental studies, up 20 years duration,...
ABSTRACT Aim Our aim was to quantify climatic influences on key leaf traits and relationships at the global scale. This knowledge provides insight into how plants have adapted different environmental pressures, will lead better calibration of future vegetation–climate models. Location The data set represents vegetation from 175 sites around world. Methods For more than 2500 vascular plant species, we compiled mass per area (LMA), life span (LL), nitrogen concentration (N ) photosynthetic...
Abstract The controls on aboveground community composition and diversity have been extensively studied, but our understanding of the drivers belowground microbial communities is relatively lacking, despite their importance for ecosystem functioning. In this study, we fitted statistical models to explain landscape‐scale variation in soil using data from 180 sites covering a broad range grassland types, climatic conditions England. We found that was explained by abiotic factors like climate,...
Summary 1. A fundamental trade‐off among vascular plants between traits inferring rapid resource acquisition and those leading to conservation of resources has now been accepted broadly, but is based on empirical data with a strong bias towards leaf traits. Here, we test whether interspecific variation in different plant organs obeys this same within‐plant trade‐offs are consistent organs. 2. Thereto, measured suites the chemical structural from main vegetative for species set representing...
1 An experimental multispecies screening of leaf decomposition rates was undertaken in order to identify and quantify general patterns functional plant types taxa. Functional species groups were characterized using whole-plant whole-leaf features relevant the functioning plants their natural environments. 2 The experiment included fresh litters 125 British vascular species, covering a wide range life-forms, habits Preweighed litter samples enclosed two bags exposed weather conditions...
Abstract People depend on benefits provided by ecological systems. Understanding how these ecosystem services – and the properties underpinning them respond to drivers of change is therefore an urgent priority. We address this challenge through developing a novel risk‐assessment framework that integrates evolutionary perspectives functional traits determine species’ effects ecosystems their tolerance environmental changes. define Specific Effect Function ( SEF ) as per‐gram or per capita...
Leaf mechanical properties strongly influence leaf lifespan, plant-herbivore interactions, litter decomposition and nutrient cycling, but global patterns in their interspecific variation underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.We synthesize data across the three major measurement methods, permitting first analyses of mechanics associated traits, for 2819 species from 90 sites worldwide.Key measures resistance varied c. 500-800-fold among species.Contrary to a long-standing hypothesis,...
There is some evidence that traits of fresh leaves provide structural or chemical protection (‘defence’) remain operational in the leaf litter and control interspecific variation decomposition rate on soil. We tested experimentally whether negative relationship between foliar defence fundamental, i.e. it seen consistently across higher plant species life forms, repeated floras geographically climatically distinct areas separated by an ocean. employed published results two outdoor bag...
Summary Conceptual frameworks relating plant traits to ecosystem processes such as organic matter dynamics are progressively moving from a leaf‐centred whole‐plant perspective. Through the use of meta‐analysis and global literature data, we quantified relative roles litters above‐ below‐ground organs in labile dynamics. We found that decomposition rates leaves, fine roots stems were coordinated across species worldwide although less strongly within ecosystems. also show had lower with large...
Summary Competitor, stress‐tolerator, ruderal ( CSR ) theory is a prominent plant functional strategy scheme previously applied to local floras. Globally, the wide geographic and phylogenetic coverage of available values leaf area LA ), dry matter content LDMC specific SLA (representing, respectively, interspecific variation in size conservative vs . acquisitive resource economics) promises general application strategies across biomes, including tropical forests hosting large proportion...
Abstract Whether climate change will turn cold biomes from large long‐term carbon sinks into sources is hotly debated because of the great potential for ecosystem‐mediated feedbacks to global climate. Critical are direction, magnitude and generality responses plant litter decomposition. Here, we present first quantitative analysis major climate‐change‐related drivers decomposition rates in northern worldwide. Leaf litters collected predominant species 33 manipulation experiments...
Summary 1. Recent evidence indicates tight control of plant resource economics over interspecific trait variation amongst species, both within and across organs, referred to as ‘plant spectrum’ (PES). Whether how these coordinated whole‐plant strategies can influence the decomposition system thereby impact on ecosystem carbon nutrient cycling are yet an open question. More specifically, it is unknown whether functional traits have consistent afterlife effects different organs. 2. To answer...
Abstract Global environmental change, related to climate change and the deposition of airborne N‐containing contaminants, has already resulted in shifts plant community composition among functional types Arctic temperate alpine regions. In this paper, we review how key ecosystem processes will be altered by these transformations, complex biological cascades feedbacks that might result, some potential broader consequences for earth system. Firstly, consider patterns growth allocation,...
Abstract Long‐term ecosystem‐level experiments, in which the environment is manipulated a controlled manner, are important tools to predict responses of ecosystem functioning and composition future global change. We present results meta‐analysis performed on long‐term experiments near Toolik Lake, Alaska, Abisko, Sweden. quantified aboveground biomass different arctic subarctic ecosystems experimental fertilization, warming shading. not only analysed general patterns but also differences...