Vandenberghe Charlotte

Effects of subordinate plant species on plant and soil community structure and ecosystem function

Project Number: CH-4431
Project Type: Research_Project
Project Duration: 03/01/2008 - 12/31/2012 project completed
Funding Source: SNSF ,
Project Leader: Dr. Charlotte Vandenberghe
Program coordinator
Research Office
EPF Lausanne
BI
Station 7
1015 Lausanne

e-Mail: charlotte.vandenberghe(at)epfl.ch
http://research-office.epfl.ch/

related to this project.
for which the project has a relevance.


Research Areas:
Biodiversity

Disciplines:
environmental sciences

Keywords:
Plant and soil communities
Biodiversity
Community ecology
Above and belowground interactions
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
Microbial communities analysis
Ecosystem function

Leading questions:
In the SubFunc project, we test several hypotheses concerning the role of subordinate species for the maintenance of ecosystem functions (e.g. production), the resistance of plant communities against change in resource functions (e.g. drought, fertilization) and for the maintenance of the diversity of belowground organisms (e.g. bacteria, fungi, protists).

By using removal experiments, we assess the role of subordinate plant species on :
  • the structure and functioning of the above- and belowground components of a perennial grassland ecosystem

  • the response of above- and belowground components of the ecosystem to resource limitation (drought, fertilization)


    URL: http://ecos.epfl.ch/page-57421-fr.html

    Publications:
  • Mariotte, P., Buttler, A., Johnson, D., Vandenberghe, C. Exclusion of root competition increases competitive abilities of subordinate plant species through root-shoot interactions. (in review)

  • Mariotte, P., Meugnier, C., Johnson, D., Thébault, A., Spiegelberger, T., Buttler, A. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi reduce the differences in competitiveness between dominant and subordinate plant species. (in review)

  • Mariotte, P., Vandenberghe, C., Meugnier, C., Rossi, P., Bardgett, R.D., Buttler, A. Subordinate plant species impact on soil microbial comunities and ecosystem functioning in semi-natural grassland: findings from a removal experiment. (in review)

  • Mariotte, P., Vandenberghe, C., Hagedorn, F., Buttler, A. Subordinate plant species enhance community insurance to drought in high diverse grassland ecosystems. (in review)

  • Mariotte, P., Vandenberghe, C., Buttler, A. Subordinate plant species maintain soil functioning during summer drought. (in preparation)



    • Last update: 5/18/18
    Source of data: ProClim- Research InfoSystem (1993-2024)
    Update the data of project: CH-4431

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