A5041906606- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Plant Ecology and Soil Science
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Crop Yield and Soil Fertility
- Coleoptera Taxonomy and Distribution
- Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Pasture and Agricultural Systems
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Greenhouse Technology and Climate Control
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Forest Management and Policy
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Plant responses to water stress
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Leaf Properties and Growth Measurement
- Fossil Insects in Amber
- Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
University of Liverpool
2019-2021
Syracuse University
2010-2018
University of Sheffield
1997-2009
We present an all-inclusive software tool for dealing with the essential core of mathematical and statistical calculations in plant growth analysis. The calculates up to six most fundamental parameters according a purely 'classical' approach across one harvest-interval. All estimates carry standard errors 95 % confidence limits. is written Microsoft Excel 2000 available free charge use teaching research from www.aob.oupjournals.org article supplementary data.
Climate shifts over this century are widely expected to alter the structure and functioning of temperate plant communities. However, long-term climate experiments in natural vegetation rare largely confined systems with capacity for rapid compositional change. In unproductive, grazed grassland at Buxton northern England (U.K.), one longest running experimental manipulations temperature rainfall reveals highly resistant maintained 13 yr. Here we document resistance form of: ( i ) constancy...
Two different UK limestone grasslands were exposed to simulated climate change with the use of nonintrusive techniques manipulate local over 5 years. Resistance change, defined as ability a community maintain its composition and biomass in response environmental stress, could be explained by reference functional successional status grasslands. The more fertile, early-successional grassland was much responsive change. not particular climates experienced two Productive, disturbed landscapes...
Several studies of synthesized herbaceous plant communities have reported a positive relationship between vascular diversity and biomass production (Naeem et al. 1994; Tilman 2001), the European BIODEPTH experiment has been one most influential in this regard (Hector 1999). Much, though not all, evidence for come from experimental established seed harvested after only year or two. It is clear that such immature would be expected to provide reliable ecosystem properties. Here we compare with...
Climate change impacts on vegetation are mediated by soil processes that regulate rhizosphere water balance, nutrient dynamics, and ground-level temperatures. For ecosystems characterized high fine-scale substrate heterogeneity such as grasslands poorly developed soils, effects of climate plant communities may depend properties vary at the scale individuals (<m2), leading to shifts in community structure go undetected larger scales. Here, we show a long-running experiment species-rich...
Abstract Climate change can influence soil microorganisms directly by altering their growth and activity but also indirectly via effects on the vegetation, which modifies availability of resources. Direct impacts climate occur rapidly, whereas indirect mediated shifts in plant community composition are not immediately apparent likely to increase over time. We used molecular fingerprinting bacterial fungal communities investigate 17 years temperature rainfall manipulations a species‐rich...
Abstract Climate change models project shifts in precipitation patterns at regional and global scales. Increases dry areas the occurrence of drought predicted future scenarios are likely to threaten grassland ecosystems. Calcareous seed banks have proven be resistant short-term drought, but their responses long-term unknown. Here we show that 14 years summer changed calcareous bank composition, reducing its size richness, these do not simply reflect above-ground vegetation. Moreover, effect...
Abstract Climate change treatments – winter warming, summer drought and increased precipitation have been imposed on an upland grassland continuously for 7 years. The vegetation was surveyed yearly. In the seventh year, soil samples were collected four occasions through growing season in order to assess mycorrhizal fungal abundance. Mycorrhizal colonisation of roots extraradical hyphal (EMH) density both affected by climatic manipulations, especially drought. Both warming proportion root...
1. The association between seed size and habitat shade within the British flora was investigated using a data set of masses, life histories quantitative measures for 504 species; longevity longevities 301 species. 2. were analysed method phylogenetically independent contrasts (PICs) calculated software package CAIC (Comparative Analysis by Independent Contrasts). 3. Seed mass found to be positively correlated with negatively longevity, after variation owing history had been accounted for.
Summary 1. Understanding the assembly of ecological communities is central to managing such for conservation, restoration and invasion resistance. A plank modern theory limiting similarity, i.e. a finite limit similarity coexisting species. 2. Here, we test in roadside plant community that has been monitored almost 50 years. We measure differences between observed trait distributions (‘functional diversity, FD’) those expected on basis three different null models, several combinations four...
1. Seed dispersal is widely recognized to be of crucial importance in the ecology plant communities, yet characterization capacity rarely goes beyond two categories: ‘good’ and ‘poor’ dispersers, defined on basis dispersule morphology. 2. We describe a new apparatus which determines rate fall seeds air by detecting their passage through fans laser light. 3. This able measure smaller than previously published methods reveals that there no justification for arbitrary division species into wind...
Abstract Drought imposes stress on plants and associated soil microbes, inducing coordinated adaptive responses, which can involve plant–soil signalling via phytohormones. However, we know little about how microbial communities respond to phytohormones, or these responses are shaped by chronic (long-term) drought. Here, added three phytohormones (abscisic acid, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic jasmonic acid) soils from long-term (25-year), field-based climate treatments test the hypothesis...
1. Successful poleward shifts of plant species ranges as a result climate change will depend on interactions between migrating and the communities they invade. Although migration may be constrained by slow long-distance dispersal into suitable habitat, invasion resistance community is expected to timeframe available for species- genetic-level compositional shifts. 2. We tested whether range Bromus erectus Brachypodium pinnatum, two dominant grasses calcareous grasslands in southern UK with...
Summary We explored the ecological properties of a self‐assembling, cellular automaton model by simulating behaviour distinct plant functional types. Types differed according to three fundamental traits: size modules; longevity modules in absence resources; and propensity flowering. When expressed at levels apiece, traits were able approximate essential biology seven important types within well known system (the C‐S‐R system, based on disturbance resource availability). The types, when grown...
Hypothesis: For any one time and place a 'functional signature' can be derived for sample of herbaceous vegetation in way that concisely represents the balance between different clusters functional attributes are present among component species. Methods: We developed spreadsheet-based tool calculating signatures within context C-S-R system plant types. used to calculate compare specimen British samples which differed management regime location time. Conclusion: The integrative power 'C-S-R...
Abstract Reproductive and early‐acting life‐history traits are likely to be particularly important determinants of plant fitness under a changing climate. There have, however, been few robust tests the evolution these chronic climate change in natural ecosystems. Such studies urgently needed, evaluate contribution evolutionary population persistence. Here, we examine climate‐driven reproductive long‐lived perennial plant, Festuca ovina . We collected established plants F. from species‐rich...