Ecological experiments with model ecosystems SS 2014

Project suggestions

1: How does diversity buffer against invasion and how is lupine affected by drought?

• Lupinus polyphyllus is an legume exotic invader with an increasing distribution (e.g. in the Rhoene mountains) and the potential to create novel ecosystems

• Question:How is L. polyphyllus affected by the diversity of surrounding grassland and by drought?

• Model system: Mesocosms of different diversity levels, subjected to drought

Start/ methods: June, ecophysiological measurements (canopy temperature, NDVI, stomatal conductance)

Responsible: julia.walter@uni-bayreuth.de

2:Does intraspecific diversity provide the same functionality as interspecific diversity?

• Within-species variability in the response to extreme weather events can be as strong as variability across species and adaptation to climatic conditions, i.e. a superior performance of the local provenance in comparison to other provenances, has been repeatedly reported

• Question: Does grassland consisting of different species respond similar to drought compared to grassland consisting of different ecotypes/provenances?

- Model system: Mesocosms of different intra- and

interspecific diversity levels, subjected to drought

Start/ methods: June, ecophysiological measurements (canopy temperature, NDVI, stomatal conductance)

Responsible: julia.walter@uni-bayreuth.de

3:Senecio jacobaea- an increasing problem for agriculture and health?• S. jacobeae is perceived as an increasing problem, as it is getting abundant

in some meadows and already caused death of cattle and its alcaloids were already found in honey. The general question is:How is S. jacobaea affected by precipitation changes and management practice?

• Model system: potted individuals of S.j. and

common grassland species will be sujected

to different climate treatments and

management practise

Start: April, still quite open to design/ focus/

methods!

Responsible: julia.walter@uni-bayreuth.de

david.harter@

uni-bayreuth.de

4:How did grassland react to the extremely warm winter 2013/2014?• An earlier start of the growing season 2014 is already visible after the

very mild winter. We have long term field-data of grassland already subjected to winter warming before.

• How does grassland react to the „real“ warm winter 2013/2014 in comparison to unwarmed and experimentally warmed winter conditions in previous years?

• Model system: Semi natural grassland within the EVENT II experiment• Start/ methods: May/ June, biomass/ cover

assessment

Responsible: Nobel Arfin Khan

david.harter@

uni-bayreuth.de

5:How does grassland react one year after an extreme drought across a pan-European

gradient?• Within 9 European countries, typical grassland was

subjected to an extreme drought in 2013/2014. Biomass and cover data will be assessed in 2014 (in addition to 2013)

• Is there a gradient of resilience/resistance across all sites? Are there long-term consequences of drought?

• Model system: Semi natural grassland• Start/ methods: May/ June, biomass/

cover assessment, data analyses

Responsible: julia.walter@uni-bayreuth.de

6:How do grasses from different ecotypes respond to increased freeze-thaw cycles?

• Regional differences in the occurances of soil FTCs are thought to strongly affect plant survival and growth. Winter warming is changing the frequency and magnitude of the occuring FTC across Europe.

• Question: Local adaptation to local occurence of FTCs is to be evaluated using grass ecotypes from across Europe

• Model system: potted grass ecotypes• Start/ methods: April, biomass/ cover assessment, other

parameters of interest

Responsible: Andrey Malyshe, amalyshe@alumni.uwo.ca