SUBFUNC

Effects of Subordinate Plant Species on Plant and Soil Community Structure and Ecosystem Function

 

Type: Thesis (2008-2012)

Funding: Swiss National Science Foundation 

 
Description:
 
In plant communities subordinate species i.e. locally non-dominant species that collectively compose the main part of the diversity, are generally at greater risk for extinction due to their smaller population sizes.  Recent studies show that less abundant species may have a larger influence on ecosystem properties and functionning.
 
 
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) and for the maintenance of the diversity of belowground organisms (e.g. bacteria, AM fungi).  
 

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).

 
Study sites: Swiss Jura Mountains
  • Les Amburnex – Marchairuz
  • La frétaz – Bullet
 
Key words: Biodiversity, subordinate species, above- and belowground interactions, competition/facilitation, removal experiment, climate change, ecosystem function
 
 
Project:   
 
Pierre Mariotte (PhD student)
 
 
 
 
Collaborations:
 
 
 
 
 

Contact

Pierre Mariotte

Swiss Federal Institute for Research WSL, site Lausanne
&
Ecole Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne (EPFL)
Laboratory of Ecological Systems (ECOS) 

Member of organizing committee
ECOVEG 7, Lausanne-EPFL
30th March – 1st april 2011
Secretary : [email protected]
http://ecos.epfl.ch/ecoveg

                                          

GR B2 – station 2
CH – 1015 Lausanne
Switzerland           

Phone : +41(0)21 693 57 74 
Fax : +41(0)21 693 39 13
[email protected]
Web page

 

Publications

8. Mariotte, P., Le Bayon, R.C., Eisenhauer, N., Guenat, C., Buttler, A. (2016) Subordinate plant species mediate drought effects on earthwrom community. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 96, 119-127.

7. Mariotte, P., Robroek, B., Jassey, V.E.J., Buttler, A. (2015) Subordinate plants mitigate drought effects on soil ecosystem processes by stimulating fungi. Functional Ecology, 29, 1578-1586.

6. Mariotte, P. (2014) Do subordinate species punch above their weight? Evidence from above and belowground. New Phytologist, 203, 16-21.

5. Mariotte, P., Vandenberghe, C., Kardol, P., Hagedorn, F., Buttler, A. (2013) Subordinate species enhance community insurance to drought in semi-natural grassland ecosystems. Journal of Ecology , 101, 763-773.

4. Mariotte, P. , Buttler, A., Kohler, F., Gilgen, A.K., Spiegelberger, T. (2013) How do subordinate and dominant species in semi-natural grasslands relate to productivity and land-use change? Basic and Applied Ecology, 14, 217-224.

3. Mariotte, P., Vandenberghe, C., Meugnier, C., Rossi, P., Bardgett, R.D., Buttler, A. (2013) Subordinate plant species impact on soil microbial communities and ecosystem functioning in grassland: findings from a removal experiment. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics , 15, 77-85.

2. Mariotte, P., Meugnier, C., Johnson, D., Thébault, A., Spiegelberger, T., Buttler, A. (2013) Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi reduce the differences in competitiveness between dominant and subordinate plant species. Mycorrhiza , 23, 267-277.

1. Mariotte, P., Buttler, A., Johnson, D., Thébault, A. & Vandenberghe, C. (2012) Exclusion of root competition increases competitive abilities of subordinate plant species through root-shoot interactions. Journal of Vegetation Science , 23, 1148-1158.