Core project 10: Ecological Synthesis
Project phase 2017-2020
Scientific investors:
(Uni Bern)
(Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt)
External:
(Uni Leipzig)
(Uni Alicante)
(iDiv Halle-Jena-Leipzig)
Truly general understanding of ecological systems requires a broad perspective and thus the synthesis of knowledge across taxa, ecological processes, as well as spatial and temporal scales. The Biodiversity Exploratories was set up to coordinate research efforts so that multiple data are collected in a common study design and the data therefore can be directly linked and compared. The aim of the synthesis core project is to ensure that these ecological syntheses are realized.
Goals
In the next phase we will conduct a series of comprehensive ecological syntheses that address the central questions of the Biodiversity Exploratories according to the following goals:
1. to address the question of how land use intensification affects biodiversity and species interactions by understanding the effect of land use on the the assembly of multitrophic communities.
2. to deal with the question of how biodiversity and land-use intensity affect ecosystem functioning and services by developping a more integrated understanding of multitrophic biodiversity-functioning relationships and by considering the role of biodiversity in promoting resilience.
3. to catalyse synthesis efforts of others by spreading the concepts and statistical methods for synthesis across the entire Biodiversity Exploratories. The synthesis project will create synergies and true added value across projects, in accordance with the main guiding questions of the Biodiversity Exploratories.
Selected publications
Allan E. et al. 2014. Interannual variation in land-use intensity enhances grassland multidiversity. PNAS, 111:308–313. www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1312213111
Allan E. et al. 2015. Land use intensification alters ecosystem multifunctionality via loss of biodiversity and changes to functional composition. Ecol Lett 18:834–843. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Manning P. et al. 2015. Grassland management intensification weakens the association between of the biodiversity of multiple plant and animal taxa. Ecology 96 1492-1501. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Soliveres, S. et al. 2015. Intransitive competition is widespread in plant communities and maintains their species richness. Ecol Lett 18:790–798. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Soliveres S. et al. 2016. Locally rare species influence grassland ecosystem multifunctionality. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. B 371: 20150269. http://dx.doi.org
Soliveres S. et al. 2016. Biodiversity at multiple trophic levels is needed for ecosystem multifunctionality. Nature 536, 456–459. http://www.nature.com
Ecological Synthesis
Project phase 2011 - 2017
Scientific investors:
Prof. Dr. Markus Fischer
Dr. Eric Allan
Dr. Peter Manning
(University Bern)
Dr. Oliver Bossdorf
(University Tübingen)
Truly general understanding of ecological systems requires a broad perspective and thus the synthesis of knowledge across taxa, ecological processes, as well as spatial and temporal scales. The most powerful approach to working towards such broad ecological syntheses is to coordinate research efforts so that multiple data are collected in a common study design and the data therefore can be directly linked and compared. Providing such a common design, and thus unique opportunities for broad quantitative ecological syntheses, was one of the main motivations for setting up the Biodiversity Exploratories. The aim of the synthesis core project is to ensure that these ecological syntheses are realized.
Goals
We have three major goals for the next phase:
1. to conduct a series of comprehensive ecological syntheses that address the central questions of the Biodiversity Exploratories about relationships between land use, biodiversity and ecosystem processes,
2. to take a closer look at the important and still not completely resolved question of how to quantify land use intensity in grasslands and forests, and
3. to catalyse synthesis efforts of others by spreading the concepts and statistical methods for synthesis across the entire Biodiversity Exploratories. The synthesis project will create synergies and true added value across projects, in accordance with the main guiding questions of the Biodiversity Exploratories.