Microbial effects on plant community dynamics through the lens of plant functional traits скачать в хорошем качестве

Microbial effects on plant community dynamics through the lens of plant functional traits

This April 8, 2022, talk was presented by Gaurav Kandlikar of the University of Missouri. Gaurav is introduced by Jim Bever, University of Kansas Foundation Distinguished Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and a senior scientist at the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research. Our regular moderator, Ben Sikes, KU associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and an associate scientist at the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research, is on sabbatical. Gaurav provided this summary: "The past few decades have seen a revolution in ecology, spurred by a growing awareness that microbes exert a great deal of control over the diversity and dynamics of larger organisms. In plant ecology, work on plant interactions with soil microbes has cast fundamental insights into key processes ranging from ecosystem functioning to ecological succession. But the complexity of these interactions, which are characterized by plants engaging in context-dependent interactions with a variety of microbes that are themselves interacting with one another, makes it challenging to interpret the wide range of observed patterns and to predict their long-term consequences. "This talk illustrates how I seek to tackle this challenge through an integration of theory and data. In the first section, I will present insights from modern coexistence theory that help disentangle the role of the soil microbiome on plant coexistence. I will then present ongoing work on the potential for plant functional traits to provide a foundation on which to build a predictive understanding of plant community responses to global change. I will conclude with my vision for future research and teaching — a vision shaped by the inextricably linked needs to address environmental challenges and to cultivate a globally equitable future for ecology."