Fine-scale neighborhoods in plant communities: a comparative functional approach
Informations
- Funding country
Hungary- Acronym
- -
- URL
- -
- Start date
- 9/1/2008
- End date
- 9/30/2011
- Budget
- 43,031 EUR
Fundings
| Name | Role | Start | End | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thematic Programme | Grant | 9/1/2008 | 9/30/2011 | 43,031 EUR |
Abstract
The concept of plant neighbourhood diversity provides an operational linkage among several research areas including spatially explicit individual based modelling of population dynamics, experimental population and community ecology, and the statistical analysis of vegetation. We will develop and test a new standard sampling protocol and will develop a methodology for surveying neighbourhood diversity experienced by dominant-, codominant- and intrinsically subordinate species in a wide range of grasslands. Our comparative studies with specific trait-based structural analyses will produce new types of assembly and disassembly rules along environmental and land-use gradients. Patterns of functional plant neighbourhoods have implications for conservation and restoration practice where the primary aim is to manage microhabitats. Our methodology and the related new standard sampling protocol will also be applicable during restoration of damaged ecosystems (e.g. mining areas) or abandoned agricultural fields as well as in conservation management. The project will provide opportunities for MSc and PhD students. Furthermore, we will organize theoretical and field courses in the related topics. We have collaborations with three foreign universities for developing database of plant traits and functional types, and for testing sampling techniques.