This study is investigating the inter-relationships
between biodiversity at different biological levels in Scots
pine woodlands, which are a high conservation priority, and
which typify forest systems on organic soils, where the chemical
ecology is dominated by high-levels of carbon-based secondary
metabolites. A multi-disciplinary
research team is examining how chemical differences
between individual Scots pine trees, affects the diversity,
processes and functioning of other components of the system
eg. mycorrhizas and soil microbiota, associated plant communities,
and insect and vertebrate herbivores. Spatial analysis and
modeling of these inter-relationships will permit quantification
of the scale over which biodiversity varies both within the
woodlands and in relation to neighbouring communities. It
will also identify the scale at which conservation measures
would be most effectively implemented.
Hypotheses:
That diversity within the dominant plant population, determines
the diversity at other trophic levels.
That an important mechanism by which the
dominant plant component of an ecosystem influences the diversity
and function of associated communities is via its phytochemical
composition, which may act:
directly through effects on herbivores and
associated plant communities.
indirectly through soil microbial processes, and multitrophic
interactions.
PROJECT
IN BRIEF
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to see a brief outline of the integrale project components